The Blonde General
by Director Maliwan
Summary: Leadership alone does not yield victory...well nobody told Uzumaki Naruto that! Watch out Alvarez, there's a new faction in Chinese checkers! It's not crack I swear...but the OP is out of control. OP Naruto, eventual OP Natsu, Naruto x ?, Natsu x small harem. Seriously guys its not crack. Still, might wanna bring a hazmat suit...
1. Here's Naruto!

**So recently a newer anime/manga has caught my interest: Akame ga Kill. Let me be Frank here…well not Frank exactly but…(sigh), never mind. It's awesome. We'll leave it at that. Anyway, I was reading up on the story and all of the sudden I have an idea for a new fanfic. One involving Akame ga Kill in no particular way whatsoever other than the uniform of the generals. That's right! This has pretty much been a waste!**

 **Sorry.**

 **Anyway, really this story was inspired by the new development in Fairy Tail, that is, the presence of the Alvarez (Albareth?) Empire, the identity of Emperor Spriggan, the introduction of the super-powerful Spriggan Twelve, and the new continent that is apparently a superpower. Yeah, my first through in reading the latest chapter (444 I believe) was: "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" my second thought was making a fanfic about these new developments. My third involved the realization that I knew next to nothing about this new faction since nothing has been done yet. My final thoughts regarding the matter was realizing how much I love this new turn of events and wondering if I could incorporate elements of Naruto into a fanfiction. After two minutes of well-thought-out and meticulous planning I scrapped the idea all together!**

 **Now I'm just gonna make a damn crossover story featuring Naruto in the Fairy Tail world. If you've read my other fic (sorry for lack of updates by the way, kind of at a mental roadblock at the moment) you know I'm attempting to write a fic where Naruto isn't overpowered.**

 **That shit isn't happening in this fic.**

 **He's OP. I really couldn't help it in this one. For it all to work out he has to be strong. I'm not talking just strong. I mean uber-DUPER strong! Ok maybe not God-like, but pretty damn close. He and Zeref are about on the same level.**

 **I've talked enough, I have a rant at the end of the chapter…well more of a promise to you readers regarding reviews (nothing bad I assure you). Anyway, let's get this bitch on the road!**

 **Intervention**

Gray was scared.

No. Not scared. 'Scared' didn't even begin to cover what exactly it was that he was feeling. Fear caused anxiety, that numb, uncomfortable feeling that could be felt throughout the body's extremities. Fear incited a response, be it preparing the body to defend itself in the wake of the owner's inability to react rationally, or similarly prepping the body to remove itself from the situation entirely.

Fight or flight if you will.

No, Gray didn't feel fear. Fear implied that his body was ready to either fight off the being that had put it in such a state of duress (the option he would usually prefer), or get the hell away from the monsters that now stood on either side of him.

That woman, Brandish, _she_ scared him, inspired fear within him.

This other man—this _monster!_ This blonde engine of destruction clad in white military garb, standing just ten feet away and smiling as if nothing was wrong, he was the cause of this feeling of utter hopelessness.

Gray directed his gaze down, staring blatantly at the blonde's well-polished stark-white dress-shoes. The shoes of a high-ranking military official. Actually, Gray wasn't really focusing on the slightly dirtied shoes, both of which were muddled by a thin layer of dirt, grim, and blood, but rather on the figure who lay directly behind the tall blonde. Well, could it even really be called one complete figure in its current state?

Nearly bisected in half, a rictus of pain and horror etched forever upon his face, Marin Hollow lay completely and utterly destroyed at the feet of his blonde adversary. Blood pooled from the immense cut that nearly spanned the length of his entire body.

There was no question that he was dead, however, that isn't what truly terrified Gray. No, it was the time it took for the Spatial-mage to realize what exactly had happened to him. For exactly ten seconds, the fool gloated and goaded the blonde after landing a hit upon him. Ten seconds during which his body didn't even realize that it had been killed.

That was something Gray had only ever heard of in fantasy, someone dying—being murdered—so quickly that they were still animatedly moving—existing even! Marin Hollow was dead and continued to be unaware of that fact, ten seconds had passed before realization had struck and—if his expression of unbelievable torment was anything to go by—with it came the ungodly pain of death(Gray could only assume such).

Yes the Alvarez soldier's death terrified Gray, however, even that was not what had Gray rooted to his current locus. While the recently deceased had been strong, Gray firmly believed that he and Natsu were more than capable of dealing with him. It wasn't the actions of the white-clad blonde that filled Gray with this unending dread. Nor was it the seemingly bored casual look upon the handsome man's whiskered-marked face.

It was officer's magic power, or rather, the fact that Gray couldn't exactly comprehend the amount of magical power that was being exuded.

It was…endless.

Never before had Gray felt so utterly helpless. It was like he was face-to-face with Acnologia himself, paralyzed under the gaze of a being who might as well have considered him an ant.

How the hell did a monster such as this exist? The ice-mage could understand something like Acnologia having such tremendous power. Acnologia was a dragon—the dragon king even! The Apocalypse Dragon was supposed to be an engine of limitless energy! But this…this human man before him? It wasn't natural! No man should naturally be this strong!

Yes, Uzumaki Naruto couldn't possibly be human. No human had ever made Gray feel like this.

Erza

Wasn't entirely sure what was happening. One moment she was floating in that… _nightmare_ of a world.

She shuddered. No place, no matter how magical and fluffy, should be filled with that much happiness and love. It was… _unnatural_.

The re-quip mage would have continued to ponder on the unimaginable horror of what she had just witnessed had she not felt the overwhelming force of magical pressure being exuded by two individuals whom she had never seen before.

Erza's eyes widened considerably. This…this was unlike anything she had ever experienced! It was unholy, the sheer amount of power that saturated the air. A veritable mountain of pressure had been dropped upon her shoulders, sucking the very air from her lungs. It was becoming increasingly harder to breath, such was the vastness of this magic power. Despite the panic that had started to set in, Erza found the resolve to at least locate the source of this terrifying power.

A quick glance to the crimson-haired beauty's left revealed an equally beautiful figure. The woman's ice-blue hair reached her chin, highlighting a beautiful face. Twin cross-shaped accessories sat atop the woman's head, adding a sense of eccentricity to the Alvarez mage. She was dressed in a rather skimpy black bikini covered in white polka-dots, the top of which was connected to a black choker. The ensemble was completed by the presence of a black fur-line robe and black, open-toed high heels.

The Alvarez stamp on her outer right thigh made it rather obvious to whom she pledged her loyalty.

'She's strong,' Erza deduced, 'but she's not the source of this…this ocean of power.' A better metaphor could not be had, for what was this vast expanse of magical power other than a veritable ocean, an ocean that stretched on past the horizon, never ceasing, never relenting in its course to completely engulf all of those foolish enough to bear witness to its magnificence.

No, the beautiful denizen of Alvarez was strong. Hell, had this ungodly power and its source not shown up, the Spriggin Shield would have, without a doubt, been the most powerful individual Erza had ever met. However, that was not the case. Brandish (as Erza would soon come to know her) was powerful, but not nearly powerful enough to output this level of unending magical supremacy. Thus, Erza directed her gaze to her right.

And there he stood.

Dear gods above gazing directly at him was so much worse! The sight of this man had caused the influence of his magical pressure to increase tenfold. Such was the pressure that her senses were under duress, limiting her considerably. Despite this, the Scarlet was able to glean a surprisingly accurate picture of the man who stood lazily ten feet to her direct right.

White, that was what stood out to Erza the most. The spiky-haired blonde (another detail she noticed) was garbed nearly completely in white, contrasting rather pleasantly with his lightly-tanned skin. He donned was the uniform of an officer that much was clear. The jacket he donned was long-sleeved and double-breasted, littered with strategically placed black buttons and complemented by black trim around the collar. Black, fingerless gloves took up arms upon his hands. His pants retained the same coloration and design as that of his jacket. White shoes resided upon his feet, complemented by the slight view of black socks that Erza could make out just below his pants. The outfit was completed by the presence of a large, white, ankle-length coat with black trim and the white and black officer's cap that sat atop his blonde head, slightly casting his face in shadow.

The electric blue-eyes were mesmerizing, despite the boredom they exhibited. The slight frown further emphasized his current state of tedium. Despite this lackadaisical feeling he exuded, the magical pressure that was being put-forth clearly illustrated the massive threat that this man posed. This man was dangerous. Actually, dangerous didn't even come close to describing this monster who so casually stood before her, hands thrown haphazardly in his pockets. This titan was clearly a god in human form, designed with the sole purpose of completely wiping humanity off of the face of Earthland.

Those whisker marks were cute, though.

General

Oh dear gods, Brandish was gonna die. This was it, the end of her life. She truly didn't want to go out here, like this. She would much rather die peacefully, passing away in her sleep at a moderately apropos age for such a thing. That's what she really wanted to do, but no, she was going to die here and now, on this god-forsaken island, right in front of these god-forsaken fairies! It wasn't fair!

This had started out as such a simple day. The beautiful shield had gotten wind of members of Fairy Tail heading toward Alvarez territory, more specifically Caracol Island. Her job had been simple, go to Caracol, stop the fairies, no enemy casualties. Simple, no? Just a brief display of strength and then she could sail back to her home continent, perhaps even with mango gelato in her hands!

It was easy, it was tedious, it got her out of the capital, it promised her mango gelato, hell she might even have been able to get rid of that perverted fool Marrow while she was at it.

BUT NO! It could never be that convenient for her could it? Why the hell would it ever be that easy? Everything was going smoothly, sans the mango gelato part. Brandish had shown up, the fairies were scared of her, she was about to make Marrow give the girls back, then she'd blow him up. Perfect, right?

And then who should appear before her eyes but a goddamn Westalian general.

But not just any Westalian general, oh no! It had to be Uzumaki-fucking-army-killing-Naruto!

'What exactly have I done to deserve this?' A loaded question really. However, such ponderings were for another time. Perhaps if the current situation were dealt with in a delicate and intricate manner, Brandish may just get out of this situation with most of her limbs.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Oh hell yeah, good start! Keep it cool and monotonous. Don't let him know that you're having a mildly major panic attack,' "what exactly is the head of the Westalian army doing on an insignificant island such as this?"

His beautiful blue eyes met her gaze. Holy shit, she didn't know whether she was about to urinate or cum…perhaps both. His smile was a flash of white, professing innocence, but also belying immense danger. Those canines sure seemed sharp…and pronounced.

Yup, Brandish was pretty sure she was about to relieve herself in both senses of the word.

"Couldn't I inquire the same of you, Ms. µ?"

Dear god that husky voice of his was sexy.

"As I seem to recall," the blonde continued, "Alvarez has no jurisdiction on Caracol Island."

Ah shit, okay she had to be brave here; brave, but not stupid. "I don't seem to recall Westalia having any such jurisdiction either. Yet here you are, killing my men." Uh oh, that had been a fuck up. Realizing her mistake too late, Brandish continued to hold the blonde's gaze, completely ignoring the company that she had entertained up until the monster before her had shown up.

"Hehehe," even his laughter was sexy, Brandish realized she truly stood no chance. Perhaps he'd at least let her look upon his magnificent visage as she died? Was that really hoping for too much?

"Touché, Ms. µ." Mirth filled the blonde's eyes, yet no matter how soft those beautiful globes of sapphire appeared their stare remained piercing. His gaze shifted suddenly, relinquishing Brandish of his unconscious hold over her. His eyes trained on the eviscerated form that lay sprawled slightly behind his left leg. His nose wrinkled ever so slightly in disgust. "I would apologize, but honestly I think I did you a favor."

Brandish squashed the urge to laugh like it was a bug beneath her heel. "That you did. He had it coming." The poor bastard had never earned himself any favors in her presence, good riddance for all she cared. "I would have eventually ended him myself, to be quite honest."

The blonde's gaze returned to her, however, this time his stature was even more at ease than before, perhaps this common ground between them had proven favorable to the Spriggin Shield's survival.

"So, Ms. µ-"

"Brandish, please."

'Oh ho! Somebody fancies herself a charmer.' The blonde smiled good-naturedly at his blue-haired adversary. "Brandish," he corrected himself, "may I inquire as to your business here on Caracol?"

Ah shit, now the potential for hostility had reared its ugly metaphorical head! 'Okay Brandish on the fly, thinkin' on the fly!' Why did this have to be so hard? Why did the very sexy man have to be her enemy? Why couldn't they just forget everything, drop their clothes and screw in front of these fai—oh…OH!

Brandish gestured towards the downed fairies between the two of them. "As you can see, this little rag-tag group of fairies have lost their way. Being the generous citizen of Alvarez that I am, I merely decided to show them the way back to their home."

It wasn't really a lie. Actually it was the complete and honest truth. Ah, how powerful and wondrous the truth was, saving her ass once again!

"Ah, fairies?" Naruto's gaze trained upon the cowed individuals between himself and the rather comely Spriggin Shield. Of course he had noticed before any of this conflict had begun that these individuals were, in fact, rather prominent members of Fiore's strongest guild. Actually, that was the entire reason he was here in the first place, otherwise he would have gladly let Alvarez claim Caracol as their own. However, the presence of Fairy Tail within this part of the world had caught his interest. Well, he was really only interested in one particular fairy.

The only one that wasn't paralyzed by terror. As a matter of fact, based on posture and that fierce scowl directed his way, Naruto would assume that the salmon-haired youth didn't share his fellow fairies' fear of him.

Although, that really wasn't all too surprising to the blonde general. Considering Natsu's family history…well, Naruto would expect no less from a Dragneel.

"Ahem."

Huh? Oh, right. He was in the midst of a conversation with a rather beautiful denizen of Spriggan's "glorious" regime. Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, presenting a rather sheepish smile to his adversary. "Ah, sorry…well, perhaps it would be in our best interest to forget this ever happened?"

Brandish rose a delicate brow, directing her gaze down to the…exploded (?) remains that once made up her subordinate.

Following her gaze, Naruto immediately sweat dropped. "Sorry?"

"…s'ok."

"Wha?"

Brandish couldn't help but blush at the cute look of bewilderment on the blonde's face. While appearing aloof and uncaring, the Spriggan Shield was actually jumping for joy on the inside. She hadn't expected to make it off of this island without having to fight the rather handsome monster before her. That fight would have certainly resulted in her complete and utter destruction, and perhaps, more importantly, it might have spurred the Westalian general to march toward Alvarez. Something that would have been most "troublesome."

The bluenette had done what she had originally intended to do anyway. The fairies were scared—well the pink-haired one wasn't but that didn't really matter to her—and, perhaps even more importantly, Brandish was now free of that perverted idiot Marrow forever! Now all she had to do was get the hell off of this island and never leave the imperial city ever again!

Life as a nun was better than no life at all.

Her blonde adversary continued to rub his head, presenting a confused disposition. "You know, I can bring him back if you'd—"

"NO!"

"Ah, alrighty then," the cheerful smile returned to the white-clad man's face. "So, we are in agreement?"

"Yes," relief almost ruined her practiced monotone. "My mission has been completed, a subordinate I originally intended to eliminate has been terminated, unfortunately I was unable to obtain mango gelato, but procuring some now would be rather tedious, so I shall return to Alvarez. I wish you well in your own return trip to Westalia."

The blonde smiled lightly at her. Was that a blush on his face?! "Ah, the same to you Brandish-chan!"

The Spriggan Shield squashed the blush that was rising on her face and directed her gaze to the forgotten fairies. "Makarov is alive." She almost smirked at their widened eyes. "Although, I can't guarantee that such will be true…if you continue your excursion into Alvarez territory." With her piece said, Brandish cast one last look to the blonde general before teleporting herself to the nearest Alvarez warship.

'Uzumaki Naruto…you're far too troublesome…' a blush lit up her face.

SKIP!

"Damn, you fairies sure know how to get yourselves into some deep shit dontcha?"

Said fairies instantly snapped out of any inner contemplations at the blonde's declaration. Collectively Team Natsu (with additions) returned their attention to the unnervingly strong blonde.

Erza and Gray noticed that the overwhelming aura no longer seemed so oppressive. Make no mistake, the immense power was still there, however, there was no malicious intent, no insurmountable mountain of concentrated bloodlust. Relief flooded the fairies, followed by trepidation. The lack of mind-numbing fear was certainly a welcome reprieve, however, the fact remained that the individual (for the term man did no justice in describing a being such as him) before them was indeed the source of the ungodly power to which they had previously been subjected. The idea that one person had that much power…it just didn't seem possible! It shouldn't have been possible!

"Sorry about earlier," his voice once again broke them out of their ruminating. The same sheepish expression he had given Brandish was plastered on his visage, "sometimes I get a bit carried away. Well, hell you guys are from Fairy Tail, you understand."

The idea that they might have anything in common with this monster was implausible. Well, such were the musings of most of the fairies, one in particular was contemplating something entirely different.

'Why the hell do I know this guy?' Natsu was confused, but before he had a chance to inquire vocally his thoughts and feelings he and the other members of the Makarov Rescue Squad (patent pending) were floored by the blonde's next statement.

"She's waiting for you, you know?" the blonde gave a knowing smirk, "your spy that is."

Before anyone could blink all members of Fairy Tail on the island found themselves at the same locus, an underground castle, being greeted by an individual most of them had thought they would never see again.

Back on Caracol

(This whole fanfic is pretty much a spoiler if you're not caught up yet, but I'll warn you anyway)

"Hmhmhm. Ah, Natsu, how you've grown." Naruto's face was lit by a genuine smile, his eyes misty and farseeing, reminiscence dancing in his gaze towards nothing. 'Time sure does change people.' The general's wistful gaze was replaced with a look of contemplation as he began to ruminate on the matter of the Alvarez Empire and its "fairy emperor."

'Obviously Zeref is planning on starting the Dragon King Festival ahead of schedule. Although, I don't think he expects Westalia to make an appearance.' Naruto could only chuckle sardonically at the hubris of the dark mage. Like those that had come before it would surely cost him dearly. The blonde shook his head, ridding himself of worthless musings; now was certainly not the time for useless pondering. It was imperative that he relay his current findings to her highness back in Ignellia.

"Hehehe, perhaps that's just what the doctor ordered…"

"…this world is due for a good war."

The sun was lost in a mire of dark, storm clouds. Rain began to fall heavily upon the cobblestone streets of Caracol.

Heaven wept.

Chapter End

 **Woo! You know I was planning on having this chapter be a lot longer but…after writing that last line I couldn't in good conscience end it later than that. I might have waited a bit to put that last line in buuuuuuuuuuuut, I'm lazy.**

 **Sue me.**

 **Tell me what you think about it! I'll say there are four other generals of Westalia (a southern country I made up for this fic to oppose Alvarez) who have already been named and decided upon...but I need twelve other characters to make up the captains of Westalia. Anyway, I know OP Naruto is a bit unoriginal and Brandish is kind of weak as a character right now, BUT DAMNIT I'M TRYING! I needed to get this out there so I can actually start getting everything together. Expect some slight xover with other series and some OCs…none of whom are in anyway like me…at all…period. OCs come from you guys or they are connected to characters already in the series, none of that self-insert crap I worry about when reading an oc story.**

… **yeah…so…more below.**

 **So yeah, I'm sitting here, writing this chapter out and an idea hits me like a bullet-train straight out of hell. I have seen many fanfics involving Natsu being ostracized or leaving the guild just before the seven year time skip. Many of them are superb stories that have time and again evoked the fires of my passion, calling out to me like a great trumpet of war, asking—hay FORCING—me to write my own odes to fairy tail's salamander…ahem…anyway, I have yet to see a fanfic involving Natsu moving on and joining the ranks of Alvarez/Albareth/whatever-the-hell-its-name-really-is. I get waiting to see and understand more about the Spriggin Twelve and the rest of the Alvarez (the name I'm sticking with) Empire, but still I've seen authors on this site do far more with much less information. Regardless, while somewhat unorthodox I'd like to issue a challenge of sorts, hell you guys have my permission to issue this challenge yourselves, I don't care about getting the credit for the issue I just really want to see a fanfic with an Alvarez-loyal Natsu. So, details are below…**

 **The story starts with Natsu leaving, being banished, being forgotten, or (the option I'd really like to see) being left behind and hating what becomes of the guild. If you can come up with something else and/or feel the above is rather cliché feel free to do whatever you'd like, the end result just needs to be Natsu leaving the guild, feeling at the very least a modicum of resentment for the place.**

 **I'd rather have Natsu coming to Alvarez and pledging loyalty to be omitted until later in the fic, being told through flashbacks that appear sporadically or methodically throughout the early-middle chapters. Once again, this is completely up to the author, however, I must stress that in order for a story like this flow that the author skip Natsu's training or perhaps describe it through a flashback with only a bit of detail. There have been very good fanfics out there with great premises that have ended up losing me because the authors spent far too much time describing the main characters training. Character build-up in a story like this comes more from Natsu's actions following his joining of Alvarez.**

 **The story really starts after the time-skip, from here Natsu's interactions with the guild members is entirely up to the author. Pairings are also up to the author. I only ask that yaoi be avoided (people are entitled to what they like, but I don't particularly like reading yaoi fics) as well as a Natsu x Lucy pairing (it's been done to death and is probably canon so…). Regardless, I might suggest putting Brandish in there…perhaps some yandere from one female or another (these are just suggestions, that's all).**

 **Other than that, have fun with it. The last thing involves Natsu being a member of the Spriggin Twelve and Igneel has already been ejected from his body. Natsu should be pretty OP in this story, perhaps even god-like. Once again, have fun with it if you decide to do it, feel free to spread the challenge around, I don't mind if you copy and paste the challenge here in the author's note…just not my story. Anyway, thank you all for the reading this and I have one quick promise to make to you below…**

 **End Challenge**

 **So, I've noticed something some authors on this site do. They demand reviews in exchange for parts of their story to be released. Only some have done this and I'm not condemning anyone, I can understand wanting reviews…but I don't exactly agree with holding your own story hostage from people who want to read it. Personally I like reviews, but I'm not going to shit all over you for not reviewing, taking the time to read through my story is good enough for me. Once again I'm not saying what some authors are doing is wrong (I really do understand where they are coming from), but it seems kind of petty sometimes…well when the author is actively being antagonistic towards the viewing audience that is. If you wanna wait for a certain amount of reviews before you release the next chapter that's cool. Insulting and/or referring to the audience in a condescending matter isn't gonna earn you any friends, or reviews for that matter. I certainly wouldn't acquiesce to the whims of someone who actively antagonizes me in order to promote reviews…it kind of seems like it's more about stroking your ego at that point. So, having said such, I hereby make a promise to any and all people who are kind enough to read through my stories and my authors note: I promise to never hold one of my stories hostage in order to up review numbers. Chapters being delayed or not being updated are a result of laziness, writer's block, or being busy, never will I keep a chapter from you all to boost reviews.**

 **That being said if the view numbers are low I'm not updating SHIT!**

…

 **JK**

 **Thank you guys, sorry for the walls of text in my long-ass A.N.s. I promise they won't be this bad later on. Actually, disregard that second promise…the first one is still good though.**

 **Thank you for reading! Please review and give me suggestions. I'm gonna need O.C.s for later in the story so feel free to p.m. me with suggestions!**


	2. History of Westalia

**Okay, I'm really sorry about this one. It was hard for me to write and it's just backstory on Westalia with some minor ties in there somewhere. Really it was more for me than anything else, no new story here. Actually the entirety of it is pretty inconsequential and the writing is bad, but if you're curious about the history of the continent (as well as my own spin on the origin of magic) then go ahead and read on below. Like I said I needed to get this down in order to set everything up in my mind. The rest of the chapters will be like the first one, this one sucks I know. However, credit goes to Milktia for some kick-ass ideas. Seriously, there was some great stuff suggested to me, unfortunately I couldn't implement it to my fullest capabilities yet.**

 **I had intended this chapter to have some of actual story in it, not history buuuuuuuuut, yeah. That didn't exactly happen. You can tell how muddled I get later on in the chapter as you read. Really this is just for build-up and for some juicy bits down the line (like a kickass one-liner). Rest assured the story will continue next chapter. I will never write another chapter like this one in this story.**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail or Naruto or anything seemingly Disney-related.**

 **Uh, what else? Like I said it's all backstory here, Naruto's not even in it much…but it's kind of interesting…maybe? DX**

 **Well, here ya go:**

 _Fiore, a small country located on the westernmost part of the eastern continent. Time and again this strong proud country has acted as the center for climactic events that have threatened to shatter the whole of Earthland. Such a small country has housed some of the greatest threats to all of humanity: The Eclipse Gate, Face, Lullaby, The Ballam Alliance, even E.N.D. himself has taken up residence in this small, magically potent body of land. For centuries Fiore has played an important role in major world events, however, it was not the first—nor will it be the last—venue of apocalyptic-scale warfare._

 _Alvarez, an empire so vast and powerful that even the slightest hint of aggression forces the rest of the world to spiral into panic. The governing empire of the western continent is a relatively new body that exploded onto the world stage. In its mere century of existence, Alvarez has flourished unlike any empire to come before it, expanding to unprecedented lengths and spanning deep into the reaches of the western world. However, the true strength of such a powerhouse lies not in its expansive gaze nor in its overbearing military, but in the very nature of its design. All mage guilds that had ever existed on Alvarez, be they good or evil, united under one banner, forming one impossibly powerful unit under the ever-watching gaze of their mage-king, Emperor Spriggan. Yes, this new world power is indeed a marvel of unmatched strengthr, save, of course, for one other nation._

 _Westalia, an empire unlike any other. Its history is one that spans much of the known history of Earthland. Dubbed "The Southern Continent" in this new day and age, Westalia was once considered the very definition of "the west" until the first Dragon King Festival (an event that changed the very method in which the world was mapped). It is a little known (or rather acknowledged) fact that Westalia acted as the original battleground for the superior forces that once claimed inheritance to the throne of magic. Dragons, gods, demons, devils, all did battle on this hallowed ground, vying for the power promised to the one who attained the throne of the strongest._

 _Climactic battles between otherworldly forces spurned an evolution in the unfortunate thousands who called the country their home. The radiation from the battles, magical runoff that resulted from the clashing of titanic forces, mutated the denizens of the country, resulting in death, the most prominent outcome, or the attainment of the ability to utilize the ethernano that was entrenched within the planet. From this seemingly endless battle sprang two events whose significance would change Earthland forever: the dragons proved their dominance over all other denizens of magic and humanity had joined the ranks of those who utilized magic. As far as humanity is concerned, Westalia is the birthplace of magic._

 _A paltry five percent of Westalian natives survived the conflict, half of them died within a month having suffered from mutations caused by the magical runoff. The remaining few (a number historians can only guess at being within one thousand) had been spared an agonizing death. Actually, those that survived had been well rewarded for their hardy nature, for what was left for them but an entire continent filled to the very brim with magic, residue from the conflict. The land, once war-torn by colossi of unyielding power, had been rejuvenated by the decaying remains of those that had torn it asunder. The denizens of Westalia themselves were blessed with a forming Eden from which they could build a new Utopia. The new ability to wield the powers of the gods and devils of old had been a gift from the gods themselves as they departed from this world. Perhaps this was a passing of the torch—for it seemed as such at the time. The mantle of responsibility had chosen a successor: humanity._

 _Fast-forward three hundred years and Westalia had come into its own as the Utopia of Earthland. Magic was abundant as were those who utilized it. Hundreds of thousands had come to the southern continent in order to learn from its scholars—its "magic-folk."_

 _Here it is imperative to understand certain details regarding those who had obtained the ability to channel magic. This new ability—this gift—did not come without a price: the individuals who had survived the backlash of the "Great War" had mutated. Having such unrefined powers and access to primordial-scale magic had caused massive mutations to the denizens of Westalia. The individuals themselves had tended to develop new attributes, baring resemblance to prominent beings who had partaken in the magic war. While these attributes tended to die out further down a bloodline, finally disappearing altogether in later generations, they still existed in the early going years of magic, designating those who could naturally utilize ethernano. While many stuck to referring to them as "magic-folk," a new term had been coined referring to one of the most prominent individuals whose very being would affect the world for centuries to come. Thus, these individuals of magic became known as Fae, a name modeled after the woman who would become the first dark mage: Morgan le Fay._

 _Digression aside, three-hundred years following the "Attainment of Magic," as scholars have dubbed it, Westalia was flooded with individuals from across the globe, drawn by the power of those who had left Westalia in the previous centuries to carve out their own corners of the world. While residual magic from the "Great War" still existed and continued to cause slight mutations, the potency of the radiation had decreased greatly. Thus, the ability to channel magic became harder to attain. That is until a powerful Fae had discovered a means of artificially gifting others with this ability. Magic was spread across the globe._

 _Of course, power has a tendency to corrupt individuals. The following millennium saw the rise of four of the most power dark mages it would ever see: Morgan le Fay: The Dark Empress, Rowena: The Queen of Shadows, Nito: The First of the Dead, and Otsutsuki Kaguya: The Rabbit Goddess. These four gods of darkness reigned over the land for centuries, spreading their corruption and teachings to those who would listen. The Four Lords of Shadow (as they had come to be known) reigned for centuries contentedly carving their own paths of destruction throughout the world. Of course each had finally met their end either by the ever encroaching hands of time, or the righteous blade of an idealist fool. Whatever the cause, each of the four tyrants had fallen, however their mark had been left in history, for despite the evil deeds committed by each, no one had done more for the advancement of magic than those four. Nor had anyone done more for mankind as a whole._

 _Following the fall of The Four Lords of Shadow, the world descended into chaos, for a power vacuum had formed. Westalia, the Eden of the magical world, had once again become a battleground. The once scholarly cities had devolved into war-hungry clans; magic had become weaponized once more. Those who were truly desperate delved into the tomes left by the four dark lords, scouring through each grimoire in search of ever-more powerful magic that could be used to destroy rival clans. Death had become a chief component in the magic utilized by the people of Westalia. Consequently, one of the few deities who had not partaken of the Great War had finally decided to end this conflict._

 _Ankhseram, the God of Life and Death, stepped down from his throne in order to deal with those who had meddled in the affairs of his domain. Having enough of the insolence exuded by these humans, the god of death declared Westalia a forsaken land, cursing its inhabitants to battle one another in ceaseless combat. Thousands were subject to Ankhseram's most vile jinxes, yet only a few were subject to his most unholy of curses: the Curse of Contradiction. Those subject to Ankhseram's harshest punishment eventually vanished in time, each having found a way to bring about the end of their miserable existences. Still, Westalia had become a place of torment and suffering; war raged endlessly for centuries. Even the dragons, upon their triumphant return to Earthland found distaste in the state of their former stomping ground._

 _A new war came about in the year 0. A war involving the dragons whose return frightened humanity and cast its place in the world into doubt. It should be noted that such fears were completely plausible considering the temperament of the dragons of ages past. Humans were ants inhabiting the land reserved for superior beings, thus the dragons decided that the entire elimination of said vermin should commence. Unfortunately for the dragons, they started with Westalia._

 _The first dragon war lasted one hundred years and took place solely in Westalia._

 _The initial attack resulted in a casualty count of roughly five thousand human lives. The dragon attack force consisted of one thousand mid and low tier dragons. The slash and burn mission was relatively simple and was executed flawlessly…for all of five minutes. Not one dragon had made it out of Westalia that day, all having succumbed to the might of a select group of individuals, led by the most fearsome being to be lost in the annals of history._

 _Maleficent was originally designed by Morgan le Fay. With the assistance of Otsutsuki Kaguya and Rowena, the Empress of Darkness gave birth to the world's very first dragonslayer. It had taken nearly a millennium for Maleficent to finally come into being, yet her unveiling into the world was explosive. Having procured a group of strong followers to learn her magic, Maleficent prepared for the eventual return of the dragons she was designed to hunt. The result was unprecedented; dragon after dragon fell to the dark dragonslayer, their carcasses eventually becoming backbones from which new cities were built. One century of fighting saw the entire war coming to a head as Maleficent openly challenged the dragons' champion, the king of all flame dragons, Igneel. The battle lasted six days, culminating in Igneel's ultimate victory over the dragonslayer thanks in part due to the intervention of his dragon kin. However, having been at the mercy of powerhouses such as the dragonslayers the dragons retreated, never to return to Westalia._

 _The dragons would later train dragonslayers of their own in order to aid in combat amongst their own kind._

 _Westalia once again obtained a semblance of peace. However, conflict was doomed to return as Ankhseram's curse had manifested once more. City-states, formed after the dragon conflict, waged war amongst one another for several decades. In the year X400 Ignelius, a city-state commanded by the Malefic clan (the strongest of its kind due to its ancestry in Maleficent) conquered its neighbors, uniting the continent for a short period. Corruption and infighting saw to the end of the weak peace under the Malefic clan. X526 saw the heir flee to one of the northeastern continents in order to avoid assassination. For the next three and a half centuries clan-wars would continue to ravage Westalia._

 _7, 7, X777 would mark a day that Westalia—that the entire world—would remember for millennia to come._

 _Uzumaki Naruto, with the heir to the throne of Westalia in tow, marched straight through the continent making a beeline for the capital. The next two weeks saw the removal of the hegemony that had taken charge in the absence of the rightful heir. The new empress, a title bestowed upon her by her blonde-haired companion Naruto, had an entirely new system put into place, trusting her new head of the military to promote trustworthy individuals to the newly instated "Seats of the Ministry." Naruto did not disappoint, appointing seven individuals who would prove invaluable to the budding empire. X778 saw the introduction of two new generals to the Westalian regime. While Naruto defended the new capital from invasive forces and continued to personally scout and recruit new military officers, these two new generals campaigned for the eastern and western coasts. X780 marked the induction of two more generals, one of whom had already conquered the northern part of the continent as a means of pledging his loyalty to the new regime._

 _X782 – the year that marked the culmination of the Westalian Empire. Led by Uzumaki Naruto, a man whose power overshadowed even those of ancient Westalian history (a proven fact following the calamity of X787), Westalia successfully defended against an invasion attempt performed by the Minas Coalition, a conglomerate of nations considered a superpower nearly equivalent in might to the Alvarez Empire. Westalia's retaliation had put the rest of the world on edge; it had taken Naruto and his four "Warlords of Westalia" one week to reach the Minas capital. It had taken Naruto himself thirteen seconds to remove Minas' status as a superpower._

 _With the rest of the world now aware of Westalia's might the empire was free to strengthen itself, transitioning from a militaristic state into a sovereign one. Unfortunately an attempted uprising in X787 halted the reformation process indefinitely._

 _A group of cultists, funded by former officials of the Westalia court, succeeded in resurrecting the Four Lords of Darkness. Of course they couldn't control these god-like beings, thus havoc was unleashed upon the world once more; or it would have been, had Naruto and his four fellow generals not arrived to destroy the four dark mages. Following climactic one-on-one battles involving each general and a Lord of Shadow and a final showdown between Maleficent and Naruto, Westalia had proven itself stronger than ever before with a sound victory over some of the strongest mages in history._

 _Westalia continues to remain in a militaristic state, run by the empress and her blonde general, Uzumaki Naruto. The four generals under the blonde, dubbed by the citizens of Westalia as "the Sovereigns," each took governance over a mass of the empire._

 _The past five years have been spent in this very state, as the empire warily waits for the ever-more restless Alvarez to make its move on the new seat of magic power, Fiore. An old foe has made himself known to Westalia in the form of Emperor Spriggan himself. Never has the Westalia faced a graver challenge than the strongest dark mage in history, yet her citizens stand not afraid, for they hold an equally powerful entity. An engine of destruction whose sole purpose is the survival of Westalia and her empress. Uzumaki Naruto stands at the forefront of Westalia's unmatched army, ready to lead his unmatched attack force into battle once more._

 _Yet it seems as though the blonde has more planned than just warfare, for a new seat has appeared at his table. A sixth seat remains vacant, waiting to be filled with yet another general—another apprentice—under the tutelage of the blonde Uzumaki._

 _War is coming._

 _Uzumaki Naruto is more than ready._

 **See how bad that was?! But it had to be done! I think, like I said that is never happening again trust me! Some of the ideas there were integral to the plot, and if you made it this far and are still interested in this story (thank you!) I feel a reward is in order…as a sorry and a thank you. So, I'll give you the names of two of the generals as well as a little information on their magic. Some of the ministers will be there as well…**

 **So…**

 **Epithet: The Unyielding Dragon of the East**

 **Description: Few have actually seen the Dragon of the East in battle due to the very nature of his attacks. His strikes are always devastating in strength and speed alike. In battle he acts as his title suggests, as an unyielding force of nature, striking down armies in the blink of an eye. Outside of battle he can be found frequenting the local orphanage, playing with the children and helping to improve the living conditions of the impoverished. Make no mistake, while a benevolent being outside of battle, once this force of nature enters combat, there is very little that can stop him. His win-loss record is astoundingly close to perfect having only ever truly lost to two individuals: both of whom are also generals who serve in the Westalian Army (one of them is obviously Naruto).**

 **Warning(!) Keep him the HELL away from alcohol! Pocky must be kept in the general vicinity as well.**

 **Magic: Synthesis and Diffusion - ?**

 **Real Name: Itachi Uchiha Alberona**

 **Physical Description: See Itachi Uchiha…**

 **And the next general!**

 **Epithet: The Vermillion Phoenix of the South**

 **Description: Fun and easygoing outside of combat, the Phoenix is one of the most well-liked generals (placing second after Naruto) among the soldiers and populace of Westalia. Despite this calm façade of an easygoing, lazy-ass, this particular general has a tendency to shift his personality greatly while in battle. The lazy attitude is replaced with a mocking, ruthless assailant whose unrelenting assault has earned him his place amongst Westalia's generals. Having been trained by Naruto himself for nearly a decade, he excels in all forms of combat, preferring quick explosive wars involving large flashy techniques and quick massive death tolls rather than wars of attrition. He's rather fond of asking his opponents whether or not they have some piece of advice "memorized."**

 **Warning(!) Don't keep him from the alcohol! EVER!**

 **Magic: Eruption and Explosive Armament – ?**

 **Real Name: Axel Lea**

 **Physical Description: See Axel from KH II**

 **Yup, there's two of them! The other two you're going to have to wait for…one should be a major surprise though! Hahaha, the empress is going to be a surprise as well. I'll wait on the ministers thing, it shouldn't be too hard to write them in the next chapter. Once again I apologize for this chapter, the next will be story chapters for sure! Thanks for reading! I still need captain ideas damnit, so keep sending them in!**

 **Have a damn good day!**


	3. The Vermillion Bird of the South

**Oh dear god here we go. So, this one was a serious bitch for me. I didn't really like writing about the ministers in this chapter since the story is going to focus on the five generals more than anything else. Don't look for any real character development, these bastards are all set in there ways. Nothing is ever really going to affect change in them. Really I'm just trying to build unique characters…you'll kind of see some of that in this chapter with Axel. Really, I have no idea what the fuck Naruto is all about at this point. I mean, I know what he's after, but his personality is a friggin mystery to me at this point. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not, lol.**

 **Right, well. I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's not exactly up to standard for me…but then again the last two weren't either. I'm trying to get better at this though. So…without further ado…**

 **Chapter 3: The Vermillion Bird of the South**

 _Westalia the former—and current potential—seat of world power was once considered a paradise in both its natural beauty, and its massive lacrima stores. Following a rather impressive string of misfortune and tyrannical regimes, the 'Holy Land' had lost that which had made it a paradise. The beautiful landscape had vanished, torn asunder by the hellish firestorms weaved by dragon and mage alike. Majestic mountain ranges, home to many a peaceful Fae tribe, once tall and proud structures that had weathered the tests of Mother Nature herself for scores of millennia, now crouched, humbled by the massive carcasses of great wyrms that span across several of their broken peaks. Forests were burnt, lakes desecrated with corpses of both dragons and mages; even the Great Plains of the central territories were covered in dust and cinder._

 _From its very beginnings Westalia was doomed to an existence of desolation and destruction. Time and again it saw rejuvenation, followed closely by absolute ruin—an endless cycle spanning the entirety of known history. Yet, the people of Westalia were hardy and strong. Despite the strife that plagued them—be it resulting from outside influence or domestic corruption—those who called the southern continent their home continued to survive. In times of prosperity, they thrived. In times of desolation, they would persist. No matter the event, no matter the magnitude of destruction, no matter if Judgement Day itself presented itself before them, the good people of Westalia—those who embodied the very spirit upon which the magical world was founded—would live on._

 _Who better to protect these people—these Westalians—than the man who is the very personification of the Westalians' Will to Survive? Uzumaki Naruto, the Great General, is a man of many mysteries. His origin is unknown. His relation to Westalia before his initial campaign into the continent is the subject of inquiries across the globe. The exact source of his endless power (that is to say, how he had come to acquire such power) has driven many a scholar mad. Very little is known about Uzumaki Naruto's past._

 _All that is truly known of Uzumaki Naruto to the general public of Earthland is that he is the single most loyal individual that the world has ever seen. Similarly, it is also known that he is perhaps the single most dangerous entity on the planet._

 _Said entity now returns to his favored land, he returns to Westalia, to Ignellia, to Castle Malsideous; Uzumaki Naruto returns to his empress._

 **Castle Malsideous Council Chamber, Ignellia, Capital City of Westalia 0300 hours since the Caracoll incident**

"Where the hell is he?"

"Ah, please, Minister Haruno we-"

"Captain, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that blonde-haired bastard general of yours the one who called this meeting in the first place?!"

"Yes ma'am, but-"

"But nothing! It's too damn early for this! I have children back at home that need to be woken up for school! Instead of waking them and my lazy-ass husband up and making a proper breakfast for them, I'm stuck here, in these god-forsaken council chambers—where I already spend most of my time anyway—waiting for our dumbass blonde leader to show up and tell us what exactly it is that was so urgent!"

"Then, what does that blonde bastard do!? He makes us wait for THREE HOURS! Three-godforsaken-hours…that's time we could have all spent doing far more productive things than sitting around with our thumbs up our ass, waiting on one blonde douche! My kids are probably going to be late to school today—I know for sure that lazy-ass I call a husband isn't going to wake them up in time! Do you realize they have a test today—"Sakura Haruno, Minister of Medical Affairs and Chief Physician of the Empire, continued her rant for another six minutes.

Her ire was rather warranted. A meeting had been scheduled by one General Uzumaki Naruto for 0500. The note on the memo had read: "extremely important, attendance mandatory, DON'T BE LATE!" Everyone was in attendance, all seven ministers had taken their seats, and the empress herself sat upon her raised throne, overseeing the council as was her duty. The two Chiefs of Public safety stood guard on either side of the raised dais upon which the council took their seats. Even Naruto's elite guard (a group that acted more as a royal guard for the empress rather than for the blonde himself), had made an appearance, a rarity considering how unnecessary their presence was in this particular environment.

All members were present for the meeting…all save for the blonde general who just so happened to call this particular congregation. Thus, the ire of many of those present was understandable.

"—whole workload of patients just waiting on me! Not to mention—"

"—oh give it a rest already, Billboard-brow!" Ino Yamanaka, Minister of Information and Chief of Interrogation, had had enough of her pink-haired friends "bitching," as the blonde would describe it.

"Here here!" the boisterous voice of the Minister of Wildlife Affairs, Kiba Inuzuka, joined its owner in halting the physician's tirade.

The Minister of the Treasury, Kakuzu of Metallianis, could not help but voice his own opinion. "While her voice grating and her babbling incessant—

"OI!"

"—I can't help but agree with the pink-one." A seemingly forlorn expression formed under the mummy-man's mask, "I'm losing money just sitting here doing nothing…"

"Pft, he's probably sittin' on the beach at on some random-ass island right now, slurpin' down some of them noodles he likes so much." The rough and crude voice originated from a rather gruff mountain of a man whom had his zanbatou perched upon the massive wooden table, polishing the blade lazily.

"Please Zabuza, I think we should have more faith in our head-general than that. I'm sure he is trying to get here as quickly as possible…he probably just got lost on the road of life."

The Minister of Domestic Affairs (a job he really didn't want, but was unsurprisingly excelled at) merely snorted in response to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. "Kakashi, the only reason you ain't bitchin' just like pinky over there—"

"—I have a name, damnit—"

"—is because you showed up four minutes ago…"

Kakashi responded with an eye smile that only served to infuriate the swordsman even more.

"Grr, where the HELL is that blonde bastard!" Zabuza proceeded to heft his mighty hammer of a sword and smash his section of the council bench with it.

'Troublesome.' A sigh escaped the lips of one Shikamaru Nara, Minister of the Military. It had astounded the young man, time-and-again, how exactly six of the most powerful people in the world could be reduced to mere squabbling children at a minor inconvenience. Sure, the Nara understood why they were irritated, but honestly what else did they expect from their knucklehead of a champion. If he so chose to, Naruto could easily remove them from their positions and replace the current system with whatever he saw fit. He'd done it with the former regime, what made the current one any different.

Truthfully, Shikamaru knew exactly what made this system different.

Each of those who now sat on the council had proven their loyalty to Westalia beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Ino Yamanaka had sacrificed her family's trust, offering up their private interrogation techniques and magic in order to aid Naruto and the empire. She had publicly denounced her family, an old faction supporter, and supplied the new regime with the ancient archives that the Yamanaka's had accrued over the years. After serving in the Interrogation Department for six months and reporting to Naruto directly, Ino Yamanaka established herself as an invaluable individual whom could be trusted with the upkeep and flow of information within the empire.

Zabuza Momochi swore his own loyalty after Naruto removed a tyrannical dictator from power in the swordsman's native land—Zabuza would have done so himself, however, with his adoptive son held hostage he could do naught but serve under the tyrant. Having been freed from his forced servitude, Zabuza swore fealty to Westalia and personally scoured the southern continent, intent on weeding out all attempts at rebellion. A year of destroying wannabe fascists bore great fruit for the Momochi as the blonde general personally appointed him head of domestic affairs (something the swordsman really didn't want).

Sakura Haruno had originally been an apprentice to one of the former Westalian leaders, Tsunade Senju. The blonde, while not nearly as atrocious as her compatriots, had wasted copious amounts of the country's money, actively taking inordinate amounts of money from the treasury in order to gamble and pay the resulting debts. While originally one of the most renowned names in medicine, Tsunade forwent her duties as Chief Physician of the empire and, instead, spent her time massively depleting the empires money supply. Upon the radical regime change initiated by a certain foxlike general, Sakura betrayed her mentor, engaging the legendary blonde in combat. Six hours of hard-fought battle later saw the pink-haired doctor bringing her former teacher in to the capital city. After viewing Sakura's immense medical-skill and the tenacity she put in her work, Naruto had found a suitable candidate for a minister position.

Kiba Inuzuka had usurped the position of village chief from his own mother, taking control of the military might of one of the largest factions in Westalia and joined Itachi Alberona, one of the new generals, in his campaign to conquer the east. Kiba's knowledge of the terrain of Westalia proved a boon for the general, allowing the dark-haired general to conquer the east with minimal civilian casualties. The Inuzuka's knowledge of the Westalian landscape has aided the military of Westalia in most of its domestic endeavors since his induction into the empire. Following a rather horrific night of drinking with Itachi, Kiba found himself within the Westalian council chambers, now holding the position of minister. To this day he doesn't remember what the hell had happened…nor does he remember why exactly he was naked in the midst of a rather important conference.

Kakuzu had brought business to Westalia and personally payed off all of the empires debts. Having seen the potential Westalia had for augmentation of his own personal fortune, the mummy-man decided to stay on as a financial consultant. After viewing Naruto's own financial records and bank statements, Kakuzu stepped in, taking control of the money flow within the empire. Several years under Kakuzu have resulted in an economic boom for the country, while recession is probable and the market always vacillating, with the Minister of the Treasury at the reigns Westalia is sure to prosper.

Kakashi Hatake was a rather special case. The silver-haired, laid-back, individual hadn't always been such. As a matter of fact, Kakashi Hatake was once the champion of the old factions whom had opposed the previous regime. Famous for his lightning-make and space-time magic, the Hatake had earned cut a swath through nearly every battlefield he had been on, meeting defeat only when he had no energy left to fight. Had Naruto and the empress not returned and destroyed the old regime, it can be assumed that Hatake would have eventually led the rebellion to victory over the corrupt system. However, such would have taken years, while Naruto merely needed a few days. Kakashi, upon seeing the new system put in place, challenged the blonde for the title of general. The result was humiliation for the former rebel; he had been beaten and broken, left by his compatriots to rot in a crater. That is, until Naruto, the very man who had destroyed him, hoisted him high and declared him Minister of Foreign affairs.

Then, of course, there was the lazy Nara himself. He had turned on his best friend, his family, his entire village. Shikamaru marched the entire fighting force of the rebel faction into empire territory. With the death of Shikaku, the Nara's father, Shikamaru had been made general and head-tactician of the rebel army. He'd commanded them to march onto empire territory, proclaiming that with the massive size of the rebel army a new day was sure to dawn in Westalia. That day was known as the most horrifying massacre the likes of which have only been matched by the legends of old. As his army marched toward the capital they met the most terrifying of the four generals under Naruto's command.

Caught within a ravine with an exit that had been destroyed by the Tigress of the West, the rebel army found themselves utterly dominated by the she-devil. Sixty-thousand soldiers were reduced to a paltry five-hundred within two minutes. Choji Akimichi, second-in-command of the rebels, turned to his best friend and leader, only to find a look of regret and self-loathing. Pain erupted in the large man's chest, then he felt nothing; another body joined the sea of corpses that littered the ravine.

Shikamaru Nara, like his fellow ministers—like all of those who helped govern and protect the vast empire that is Westalia—had sacrificed a piece of himself, a piece of his humanity, in order to prove his loyalty and to protect the innocent citizens of the Southern Empire.

All seven ministers, the twelve captains, the five members of the Guillotine Brigade, the five generals, even the empress herself, all had sacrificed in order to protect Westalia and her people. So perhaps, Shikamaru Nara could forgive the squabbling of his fellow ministers. He could forgive Westalia's champion for his tardiness. Hell, he could even forgive himself for his lack of control over any the military, the very thing he was assigned to govern. Such could be forgiven, for he, just like each and every one of his compatriots, could never forgive themselves for what they had done in the name of peace.

So he, and his fellow council members, would sit here, waiting for the arrival of their champion. They would eagerly await this new information that had their strongest general so excited. They would gladly do their jobs as the governing body, because that was the only thing that alleviated the self-loathing; work was a necessity, lest their own demons rear their ugly heads; they had sacrificed a great deal of themselves in order to attain these seats—in order to play a role in keeping Westalia strong. Honestly, for most of those present, this was the only thing that kept them from a padded cell—the only thing that made them sane. So they would wait.

 **Typhus, an island off the southern coast of Westalia Heatrique Ice shelf 0250 after Caracol Incident**

The people of Khrono, the sole encampment upon the glacier that was Typhus, hadn't been having the greatest century. First they had been invaded and abused by the old regime of Westalia, forced to pay tribute to the corrupt governing body. Upon the discovery of massive lacrima stores below the surface of the glacial island, the townsfolk had been forced to toil endlessly in the mines that the empire had subsequently created. Fifty hard years of forced labor seemed to finally come to an end with the removal of the old government, however, the arrival of officials of said regime only served to intensify the suffering of the Khronoans.

Two former generals and the dethroned Prime Minister utilized their own personal armies (whose ranks were extremely limited in number and efficiency) and the minute magic they possessed to conquer the rather submissive people.

A decade and a half under these tyrants stirred the ire of the sole inhabitants of Typhus. Truth be told they were exactly two days from staging their own planned rebellion. They would be free of these oppressors, they would rebuild, they would offer their services to the new regime, and they would have prosperity.

Unfortunately just as they were to begin their uprising, the lacrima refinery disappeared. Well, it didn't just "poof" out of existence…it moreover just EXPLODED!

What followed next would forever be ingratiated into the minds of the surviving Khronoans. Six, loud gunshots were heard and half of Khrono evaporated. The main base of the invaders from the old regime stood tall and proud, surrounded on all sides by massive, smoking craters that were once prominent establishments on Typhus.

From the bastion that was the old regimes hideout, two individuals in the guise of generals strode forth. One was a rather tall, graying man who—

KRAM!

—exploded into tiny chunks alongside his partner—whose appearance could not be gleaned due to the velocity in which it turned to ash and dust.

The next three hundred seconds saw the utter annihilation of the remainder of Khrono and her tyrannical oppressors. The natives (whose number was reduced only by a paltry three) would have rejoiced at this new turn of events. After all, their freedom was now guaranteed…it only cost them their livelihood, their village, and all rations. Oh, their dignity was also in the shitter at this point due to the ease in which their overlords had been neutralized. Years of planning had, quite literally, gone up in flames. Now, they were at the mercy of whomever it was that decided to "save" them.

Musing and bemoaning was cut short by the arrival of the one individual within their immediate vicinity that could have so readily caused such utter destruction and degradation. Marching towards them out of the mist and smoke was a figure garbed in the uniform of Westalia's highest military position. The bright vermillion hair and the lazy gait by which the individual strode queued the Khronoans as to the identity of this specific general of Westalia. The condescending smirk and green triangular tear-like tattoos below his eyes only further confirmed the fears of the Typhus natives. Only one individual would have garnered more fear from them, luckily she was currently in western Westalia.

Axel Lea lazily approached the now village-less Khronoans. Their defeated and/or irritated gazes only served to widen the red-heads annoyingly handsome grin. Oh how the stench of utter devastation and humiliation excited him. He was almost tempted to skip the rest of the way to the once-villagers, but decided against such due to the imminent arrival of his superior.

Honestly, it wasn't that he was afraid of what Naruto might think, but rather he was terrified of giving the blonde any dirt on him whatsoever. Considering how Itachi had been cowed into wearing the female general uniform for a month by the blonde…well, whatever Naruto had on the Alberona had obviously been more humiliating than having the general dress up and act feminine for an entire month. The sheer amount of meetings that all of the generals had been forced to attend for that one month…dear god it was amazing for the red-head. It was also terrifying, serving as a reminder of how dangerous the blonde could be even in his pranking.

Regardless, Axel wasn't going to give the blonde any more ammo than he'd already procured. He just knew the Uzumaki had been there the night he and Minister Inuzuka had what had now come to be known as The Great Tequila War…

Digressions aside, Axel had a job to do. A job he loved oh so very much! Popping a quick drawl from his hip flask, the general practically skipped the last sixty yards to his targets.

He stopped abruptly in front of the gathered crowd, initiating a stare down that lasted roughly two minutes. For two minutes he watched the trepidation and fear flit across each and every face of those gathered. They were unnerved—rightfully so, after all there were roughly only five beings that were currently stronger than him on the entire planet…well, five beings that he knew of at the very least. Once he deemed a sufficient amount of fear and apprehension was present, Axel moved on to his second favorite part of any "imperial outreach program," taunting the native—err, negotiating with the locals.

"Attention all savages," he grinned at the glares he received, "my name—the name of your liberator and hero—is Axel. A-X-E-L, Axel, got it memorized? Good, I expect the spelling to be correct on the mural you will undoubtedly build in my likeness." The red-head suddenly directed his gaze at a suddenly cowed boy who had attempted to throw a snowball at the general. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on the outcome of what might have happened), the snow had immediately sublimated before it could get within six feet of the rather amused Lea.

"Oi, what's eatin' at ya kid?" The condescending tone was really grating on the villagers' nerves, but what could they do?

"My dad died…you didn't get here fast enough. He was crushed in the mines. It's all because you bastards didn't get here fast enough! We suffered for years because of people like you! My dad died because of you! What gives you the right to waltz in here and 'save' us?! What?!

Axel strode over to the boy, the crowd parting for him. Placing a hand on the young boys head and ruffling his dark hair, Axel crouched in order to meet the boy eye-to-eye. "I'm sorry." The condescension was gone, replaced with genuine-sounding regret. "We only just found out about this place. Really, had I known about your people and your suffering…I would have been here a lot sooner."

The entire crowd was silent, awed by the emotional turmoil that seemed present on the face of the Vermilion Bird of the South. Axel's frown turned into a light grin at the boy's wide-eyed wonder. "I'm sorry for not getting here sooner…and I'm sorry for the loss of your dad. But you know what?"

The young boy slowly shook his head as he gazed into the bright green eyes of what might be his new hero.

"As a consolation prize…I'm not gonna blow the rest of you dirty-ass savages off the face of the planet." Instantly the anger and resentment had returned tenfold. Axel's amusement was cut short by a light-hearted tone that immediately shut-down any and all laughter that resulted from the red-heads insincere tendencies.

"Ara ara Axel-kun, that wasn't very nice, now was it?"

Ah hell.

Turning on a dime, the red-headed general immediately addressed one of the very few individuals who had garnered his respect and admiration. Standing just six feet behind the Vermillion Warlord was the Beast of Westalia himself, Uzumaki Naruto. Axel sighed in slight annoyance at the interruption his mentor and best friend had caused. Really, he had been expecting the blonde to intervene at some point, but to have stolen his thunder during such a hilarious moment…dick move, man.

The teasing grin the blonde general wore did nothing to dampen Axel's ire. Had he not known any better, the red-head might have popped off a few **Explosion Bullets** at his superior in all but actual rank, but he'd much rather keep his legs in working condition.

Of course, that's not to say that Naruto was particularly malicious in disciplining his compatriots and subordinates. Quite the opposite really, it's just that the blonde was never that great at holding back when he got... _excited_.

Axel shuddered, that last statement was true on multiple levels. As a matter of fact he'd heard the Empress herself trading war-stories with certain—ahem—ladies of the court involving one blonde general (really the only one) in particular. Dear god were they explicit and graphic in nature.

Digressions (once again) and feelings of sexual inadequacy in comparison to his blonde compatriot aside, Axel was still slightly pissed. All that thunder he'd worked to accumulate, gone with one sentence from the only man who genuinely terrified the ever loving crap out of him. The blonde even had the gall to walk right by him (at this point due to the red-head's inactivity) and address the little savages that he had just spent a good two minutes putting in their rightfully deserved place.

Kneeling down to the level of the sobbing boy that Axel had just humiliated, Naruto smiled kindly, patting the boys head. "Don't mind him, kiddo. He's just stupid." For his trouble, the Champion of Westalia received a swift kick in the shin and a slight head-butt, neither of which hurt him in the slightest, but left the aggressor regretting his actions.

Naruto's smile never left his place as he stood to full height, gazing down at the hurting lad. "You've got some spirit in ya! Kinda remind me of a young red-haired punk I trained a few years ago. Then he went and left me, trying to make it on his own; only to come crawling right back a few years later."

"Oi, I didn't crawl back!"

"…I was talking about the other red-head…"

"…Oooooh."

Naruto, having enough of messing with his vermillion companion, turned his attention to the recently displaced Khronoans. Giving a charming smile, Naruto addressed the now homeless people. "Hello everyone! My name is High General Uzumaki Naruto! Due to unforeseen setbacks and a lack of information you are now homeless…and we take full responsibility." The fact that the speech sounded rather practiced made the natives sweat-drop. To be perfectly honest, this was not the first—nor would it be the last—time that the Uzumaki had given this very speech.

"As such, you will be readily compensated for your troubles. Each of you will be given a pension for damages caused after appraisal...well it would be based on damages caused, were there any reference material left." Naruto gave a stern glare at Axel who was whistling a jaunty tune and taking shots from his flask. "That being the case, you all will be awarded a small fortune upon which you may live comfortably for the next five years."

Naruto once again glared at Axel. Said vermillion visibly gulped.

He knew that look. It was the _that pension is coming straight out of your booze fund you red-headed little bastard_ stare. Well, looks like those three poor bastards that were the captains under his command were in for a rough few months. Axel snorted. _Wouldn't be the first time._

Turning back to his captive, and rather gob smacked, audience, Naruto gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head. "As for the mines and your village…we'll—uh—we'll pay for that to be fixed. If you want to stay and work in the mines, we'll pay you pretty well for it. Other than that, have a nice day!"

With his piece said, the blonde did a quick 180 and marched back into the tundra from whence he came. Axel was right behind him, leaving the Khronoans at a loss for what to do now.

Their answer came in the form of a rather angry looking red-headed beauty pulling a cart of black briefcases. She stopped ten feet in front of the displaced villages, shoving the cart an extra five feet in front of her.

"Here's your money you fucking ingrates." With that she was gone.

The Khronoans didn't know whether to be insulted or grateful. They settled for a bit of both.

 **Three miles North of Khrono Eight Seconds Later**

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Axel wasn't exactly surprised by the presence of his blonde superior, but from what he'd heard Naruto was scheduled to be in Ignellia…like, two hours ago. The tardiness wasn't exactly unexpected, hell he and the other generals usually knew not to arrive to one of their own meetings until at least an hour-and-a-half after it was supposed to begin. Still, based on what he'd heard, Axel was pretty sure that this was one situation that Naruto was taking seriously.

"Couldn't I ask you the same thing?" Ah hell, that's right, there was a meeting scheduled in the Thrones of Sovereignty later wasn't there? Well, he wasn't ever particularly early like _some_ metal-kissasses. Damn Northern Tortoise was _always_ on time. Stupid bastard was always waiting for two hours anyway.

"Yeah, well my boss is kind of an ass. He calls these meetings but always shows up late." The humor was all in good fun, still Naruto did seem to be taking this seriously, so that meant Axel better get his ass in gear…in about thirty minutes. Though he did have a question lingering in his mind. "Say, why did you come here yourself? Why not use a thought-projection or something?" Well, he should have known the answer by now.

"A thought projection can't kick your ass for destroying an entire town!" A swift punch to the stomach saw the vermillion dropped to the snow. "Now pick your sorry ass up, buy some booze, and get to the Thrones!"

Axel would have done just that right at that very moment, had one of his prized captains, Tayuya, not swiftly kicked him between the legs. "That's for making me carry all that shit through eighty miles of blizzard, maggot-fucker!"

A tear rolled down Axel's face.

 **Council Chamber Five Minutes Later**

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You don't think he destroyed Caracol, do you?

"…"

"…"

"I invested a lot of money in a Mango Gelato stand there…"

"…"

"…"

"…it's not there anymore, is it?"

"Nope."

"Probably not."

"Hell no."

"Troublesome."

Kakuzu sighed. "I really hate you people."

Before anyone could respond to the downtrodden mummy-man, the doors to the council chamber burst open, flying off their hinges and partially crushing the table at which the ministers sat.

Naruto sweat-dropped and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Whoops." Turning to no one in particular the blonde spoke. "You mind fixin' that up for me Asia-chan."

A petite blonde garbed in the holy robes and habit of a nun squeaked out a cute "yes sir" before heading over to the massive broken doors. A green light emitted from her small hands, casting an ethereal glow over each door. Bright light blinded all present signaling the end of the healing process. When the light died down all was as it had been mere moments ago.

No, the above was read correctly. The young-blonde quite literally _healed_ the door.

Idiocy aside, Naruto, having made his presence known, addressed the assembled crowd. "Sorry I'm a bit late, everyone." This was, naturally, met with several angry responses, some of which were louder than others (cough Sakura cough).

Waiting patiently for his companions to settle down, Shikamaru Nara decided to voice the question on everyone's minds.

"Tell me, is my Mango Gelato stand okay?"

Unfortunately before the Nara could actually put voice to his question Kakuzu made his own concerns known.

"Hm, what?" Naruto rose a brow in confusion, that is, until realization dawned on his face. "Oh, that old dude? Yeah, no his stand was blown to smithereens…"

'Damn it all! Why was Kami such a bi—

"—yeah, but I helped him relocate and rebuild. That's kinda why I'm so late."

My, oh, my Kami was just wonderful! Such were the sentiments of the mummy-man.

Shikamaru sighed. Why was Kakuzu here again? "What's this all about Naruto?"

Said blonde stood straight, a serious expression making its way onto his face. "Alvarez is making its move."

"What of it? Didn't we predict they would begin mobilizing within the next few years?" Sakura made herself prominent once more, inquiring as to the exact relevance of such information.

The serious expression never left Naruto's face. Giving a quick nod, he continued, "that we did. I believe it was Shikamaru and Kakashi whom we have to thank for our preparation."

"So…what exactly does the coming Alvarez-Ishgar War have to do with us?"

A feeling of dread washed down the spines of a select few ministers at the ferocious grin that flashed across Naruto's face. It was there for but a fraction of a second, but it had been present nonetheless.

"Why, everything Sakura-chan." A calculating gleam entered the cold blue eyes of the Uzumaki. "An Alvarez war is one Westalia simply cannot afford to pass-up. Especially considering the nature of the coming conflict."

Shikamaru sighed. There were murmurs of disbelief and dissent. Hell, Haruno was berating the blonde. Really though, the decision was entirely up to one individual, an individual who trusted the blonde with her entire country.

"Shikamaru," the angelic voice of the empress called for a cease in all other sound, such was the respect and reverence all had for the female monarch, "what are your thoughts?"

Damnit all! With yet another weary sigh Shikamaru spoke, not as the lazy Nara, but as the Minister of Military Affairs, "Despite every fiber of my being screaming to prolong Westalia's peacetime...as one of the superpowers it's only a matter of time before this war becomes our own. We might as well get a head-start and accrue as much of an advantage as possible. A war of attrition isn't exactly favorable for us."

"I see…and there are no alternatives?"

This time Kakashi answered. "There are, but this is ultimately the most favorable for Westalia. It's like Shikamaru said, no matter what, we're gonna get dragged in one way or another."

"Very well then, everyone is dismissed. Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Zabuza, I want the three of you to confer and return to me with the necessary information and stratagems. I want a full detailed report on how we will be handling this war. Everyone else are to return to their posts and await my summons. We shall reconvene when an apropos stratagem has been proposed. Until then I'd like to be left to my own devices.

Several polite self-dismissals later left only two occupants within the room. A pregnant silence reigned for several moments.

"She's strong…your daughter, that is. She's strong and beautiful…just like her mother," Naruto smiled, watching his empress take in this new information. The slight shudder of relief, muddled by a trace amount of sorrow, brought forth the impulse to console the beautiful monarch, yet his station demanded no action be taken, at least none while outside of private quarters.

"You are dismissed." The normally regal voice of the female sovereign was edged with sorrow, but overflowing with gratitude.

Naruto presented a rather charming smile to his empress, bowing before making an abrupt about-face. His next destination: the Thrones of Sovereignty.

"Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto paused as he reached the large oak door. He couldn't help but smile broadly.

"Of course, my goddess."

A smile and blush took up place uopn the beautiful face of Layla Heartfillia.

 **Chapter End**

 **Damned if that wasn't a friggin bitch to write! I'm sorry about the abrupt ending. You can definitely see how the writing became rushed near the end…but damnit it's been too long since I've updated and I really needed to get that damn ending out there! So…yeah…that happened. That felt a bit rushed…but yeah. Layla Heartfillia! Empress of Westalia! Haha, I honestly wasn't exactly expecting that while I was first thinking up this story…but you know now that I have it mapped out in my head it kind of works. So, obviously she didn't really die on 7, 7, X777…and the significance of the day hasn't exactly been revealed yet but you know how it goes. Gotta make do with what you're given. Anyway, I hope the reveal of the Empress was enough for everyone. The next chapter introduces the other two generals, one of whom is gonna seem like he's an OC. I don't want to give much away, but I'll say he's definitely not. His identity will probably be hinted at, and some will without a doubt correctly guess who he really is.**

 **Uh, yeah. There was a bit of history here regarding the Ministers and all…really don't expect too much out of them. They may appear in passing, but the only ones you're going to be seeing more of is Shikamaru and Kakashi and Zabuza…and maybe Kiba in omakes. Speaking of which, the Kiba and Axel go to Grandineey Bay. Well, the title is a work in progress for that one…sigh. I'm trying here guys, but writing certainly ain't easy. Especially not when you're worrying about financial aid paying for another year of college…damn Twenty-First century job market. Right, well thank you for reading the chapter! If you want feel free to leave a review. I'm sorry if it was weak, once again this is a foundation chapter for my benefit, but if you liked it than that's awesome.**

 **Ah, before I forget. Axel is supposed to be an irredeemable jackass. I hope I hit that well enough. It'll probably be shown more later on in the story. It kind of focuses on him and the other general's interactions with the main cast of the series…well, one of the main cast in particular.**


	4. Sovereign Convention

**Oh dear God above I am sorry about the lateness. Well technically I never gave a due date…but still it's been awhile. So here it is!**

 **Anyway…how ya doing?**

…

…

… **I get that you can't respond…but it helps to think that you can. Right, well this one has all the generals together. You know how I always say that I don't like how they turned out. Same deal. Well it's not bad, but I feel like I'm progressing at a snail's pace here. Then again this one explains some stuff…sorta. Damnit I don't know, the next one will be better for plot development. I'm trying to keep some surprises!**

 **Sigh…I'm trying guys. It's so damn tedious. The process takes forever. You bastards who can crap out 10,000 word chapters are just…I don't even know! Inhuman! Regardless, I hope you like the chapter. You get your four generals all together and you get two captains this chapter. Their pretty one dimensional right now, but I assure you there's layers upon layers to each of them, I just haven't added that in yet.**

 **I've rambled enough.**

 **Without further ado:**

 **Council of the Sovereigns**

Within Castle Malsideous there exist two seats of unquestionable, undeniable power. These seats act as the governing force behind the blossoming superpower that is the Westalia Empire. One seat, the Council, constitutes the major governance of the empire—that is to say, those who sit upon the Council of Ministers control the varying aspects of Westalia and act as a bureaucracy of sorts. The members of the Council dictate the day-to-day and mostly domestic disputes (of course the Empress herself is the one who gives the Ministers their authority); in this way Westalia's government is much like that of most other civilized countries inhabiting Earthland. The disparity, however, is formed by the second seat of power in Westalia:

The Thrones of Sovereignty.

It is within this sacred chamber that the true power of Westalia lays its austere head. Upon first glance the stone room itself seems rather dank and decrepit, lit only by dimmed Bulb-lacrima (due to the lack of natural light). A large, round, stone table—something vast enough to seat at least twenty people—dominated the room, veiled in dim light shining down from a rather lackluster chandelier hanging above its center. Five large stone thrones each took up space about the table, each ornate and unique in design. Upon the backs of these thrones there was carved an effigy of an animal, each animal specific to the individual whom would sit upon the throne.

The room itself was rather drab, appearing as if it had come straight from centuries long past, however, it wasn't the room itself, nor was it the objects within the room, that gave this place its immeasurable power. No, just as with the Council Chambers, it was the individuals who frequented this sacred room that contributed to the impressive title and importance with which it had come to be associated.

It might plague an outsider as to how such a room could obtain such importance if it did not house the Ministers of Westalia as the Council Chambers already did. Of course, said observer would be laughed at readily by the people of Westalia, for all of her citizens knew of the proverbial gods who lay their head within the meeting room. The name said it all.

Within the Thrones of Sovereignty met five of the most powerful individuals to ever grace the face of Earthland. Five individuals of such innumerable—unquantifiable—might and ferocity that the mere sight of any one of them would cause lesser countries (and they were all pretty much lesser) to surrender.

The very balance of world power was subject to those who met in this very room.

Ishgar has ten saints.

Alvarez has twelve shields.

Westalia has five sovereigns.

The Thrones of Sovereignty

Within the rather dreary chamber in which the superpowers of the southern continent met, a meeting was being held. A meeting that would inevitably decide the very fate of all living beings who called Earthland their home. Of the five great thrones that took up place surrounding the vast stone table, four of them were occupied.

Sitting upon the throne of the Northern Turtle was a behemoth seemingly comprised of nothing but steel. His great horned helm completely shrouded his face from view, the spiked dome revealing nothing save for one nearly unnoticeable faint red orb that shined through the empty visor. A crown of metal horns took up residence upon the pinnacle of the great helm, issuing a sense of corrupt royalty when viewed by the layman. While mostly obscured by a large, red, gold-trimmed cape, some of the colossus' body could be just barely be made out.

The right half—the only one really visible—was, much like everything above his neck, dominated by steel. A steel chest-plate modeled as though it were actually the chest of a demonic Olympian (that is, made to look like a demonic Olympian's bare chest) set an imposing sight to allies and enemies alike. While covered under the slight overhang of the great stone table, the legs of the Westalian general were covered in the same style of armor. The only actual human flesh to be shown upon this behemoth's figure was that of his right arm, a mass of muscle riddled with scars of wars passed sat atop a gauntleted forearm.

This was the great general, Zuko Miaki (not an OC nor is he from Avatar!), the Immovable Turtle of the North.

There exists very little public knowledge regarding the staunch defender of Westalia's northern region. In fact, there are no known records regarding the steel-behemoth prior to his famous solo campaign through the north of Westalia, an undertaking that had earned him reverence throughout the empire. Having personally brought to justice several corrupt officials of the old regime, Zuko publicly pledged his undying loyalty to both the empress and her most revered protector.

Since his induction into the Westalian army the loyalty of the Turtle of the North has been proven time and again.

Directly to the steel-clad general's right sat the only unmanned throne amongst those that surrounded the great stone table.

To Zuko's left stood another stone chair garnished in ornate carvings of flames which stemmed from the depiction of the firebird emblazoned upon the rear of the majestic seat. Sitting upon this grandiose effigy to the Vermillion Bird of the South, exuding airs of complete boredom, was the very man himself.

Unlike his golem of a counterpart, Axel's garb much more resembled that of the official officer's uniform. Of course, it was not without derivations: the sleeves of both the suit itself and the overcoat had been torn completely off, leaving a jagged pattern and a clear view of well-muscled, if somewhat scarred, arms. While the rest of the uniform remained mostly unmodified (save for the occasional swap of black for red), Axel's still remained unique; the overcoat and dress shirt remained unbuttoned, revealing a strong chest emblazoned with "trophies" from battles past.

As previously informed, Axel was bored. Well, he appeared bored. Truthfully, his insides were alight with that familiar tension—the foreboding feeling of oncoming catastrophe that he had grown addicted to during the earlier years of his tenure under Naruto. His mentor hadn't exactly explained the situation, but based on the mutters and guffaws alike in the pubs the vermillion general tended to frequent, he could tally a guess as to the nature of this meeting.

The surge of white-hot anticipation gripped his spine.

Alvarez was on the warpath.

The other half of the table was a bit more animated than the one containing the generals of north and south. Something any outside observer might find curious, especially when regarding the individuals whom made up the east-west side of this table of five.

Sitting upon the throne designated (and designed) for the Unyielding Dragon of the East, was a rather slim figure garbed in the traditional Westalian officer garb. Itachi Uchiha Alberona was currently preoccupied, furiously scribbling away upon a thin white sheet of paper. An open crayon box and several broken/scattered crayons dominated the space occupied by one of the most feared men in the empire. A look of complete concentration, something that was usually reserved for serious matters, implied importance to the task currently being undertaken.

Two minutes of furious scribbles and intense concentration later…

SLAM!

A victorious Itachi beamed in pride, crushing a black crayon under the hand he had slammed in victory. At the curious gaze of the red-headed general who happened to sit across from him, the dark-haired "dragon" displayed the fruits of his labor, a victorious and proud smirk dominating the usually stoic man's visage.

Axel sweat dropped at the crudely drawn image of what appeared to be a winged-bunny with an elongated body which just so happened to be shooting lightning out of…places…

A nervous smile and a shaky thumbs up appeased one of the very few individuals the Vermillion Bird feared. One of the most strict and serious individuals in the world could be such a child during his off hours.

"Little Miko-chan asked me to draw her a dragon…do you think she'll like it?" The hopeful lilt in the obsidian-eyed general's voice evoked a physical need in his red-haired peer, the need to give a snarky reply and belittle anything and everything that he found unworthy.

Naturally Axel did his damnedest to crush this basic action that was programed into the very genetic core of his being.

"It looks like shit."

Axel's face resembled an individual who had just bitten into a lemon without looking.

Dear Gods above why couldn't the she-beast have just continued working on that damn "plan" of hers?

Esdese, the blue-haired beauty who currently reigned as the Undefeatable Tigress of the West, glowered in disgust at her neighbor's rather crude interpretation of what appeared to be a rabbit dragon.

"Why the hell is there lighting shooting out of its ass?"

It was actually a rather relevant question. Axel himself had wondered the same thing. Although at the current moment his fear kept him quiet. In any other situation he might have included himself in good-natured ribbing…but Esdese seemed to be out for blood. Also, anything involving Itachi's precious "Miko-chan" should not be even remotely approached. This was a lesson hard-earned by the poor vermillion bastard.

Naturally, the Uchiha-Alberona was rather indignant, "That's his tail! "

"Looks more like an electric turd to me," Esdese shifted her attention to Axel, "Oi, Crimson Turkey, you agree don't you? That picture is shit."

Axel twitched.

"Axel-chan, please explain to Esdese-san just how superb my artwork is. Someone as sophisticated as you should be able to aptly explain my work in terms even an uncultured harlot like her can understand."

Another twitched again.

The Uchiha had hit a sore spot regarding his blue-haired compatriot, "Bastard, I'll have you know I'm still a virgin!"

An undignified snort preceded Itachi's rather eloquent response. "I'm not particularly surprised. I'll admit you're rather comely, but honestly what poor bastard would willing subject themselves to your fucked up idea of love? Now Axel, about my picture."

Axel sweat dropped, once again caught in the midst of the antics of Westalia's two strongest generals other than Naruto himself. The intense stare of the tigress made the poor bastards stomach lurch, but the equally frightful stare of his long-time friend evoked an equally unpleasant response.

"Ehehehehe. Uh—"

"See, he can't find the words harsh enough to describe your pre-K drawing you pedophilic bastard!"

"Just because I like spending time with children, doesn't make me a damn pedophile you cradle-robber! I don't expect someone who chases such _simple-minded_ pursuits to understand!"

Esdese's eye began to twitch, "Craddle-robber?"

Itachi nodded knowingly, "That poor boy is at least ten years your junior!"

"You calling me old!?"

"Calm yourself, hag. I know menopause hits pretty hard…"

"Why you—"

Fortunately the rather juvenile banter between the two was cut short by the sound of the large oak door swinging open. Three sets of feet descended the five steps that led to the great stone table, following the final echoing step was the complete eradication of the faux-animosity that had previously dominated the room.

Standing just behind the throne at the head of the table, grinning as though he were a benevolent sovereign, was the hero of Westalia: Uzumaki Naruto. Directly behind the strongest being in Westalia, stood the Head of the Execution Squad: Captain Zaraki Kenpachi and the Head of the Stealth and Recon Squad: Captain Shihoin Yoruichi, both garbed in the standard officer dress of the Westalian military.

The two highest-ranking officials under the generals both stood at attention, flanking the Strongest Throne after Naruto had taken his place upon it.

All gazes of the generals focused upon the only individual whom garnered their complete respect and undying loyalty.

Retaining his good-natured smile, Naruto moved his arm in gesture to the Shihoin behind him. "The dossiers Yoru-chan?"

Said captain handed her general a stack of folders, giving a demure wink at his appreciative gaze. Her fellow captain gave a rather gruff snort, a sound one would expect from some odd form of hybrid involving a man, a bear, and a hyena. Needless to say it would be easy to mistake the expression of amusement for the standard war cry of a Cro-Magnon.

Respiratory expulsions emphasizing the amusement of a veritable man-beast aside, business was picking up amongst the Thrones of Sovereignty. Naruto, having examined the documents in his ever-relaxed manner, lazily tossed the four folders across the great stone expanse, keeping one for personal use.

His fellow sovereigns, each having obtained a folder, exhibited differing reactions when handed the paper offerings. Itachi and Zuko opened theirs immediately, perusing the information that their commander felt important enough for solid copies to be procured. Axel gave his folder a rather disinterested look, contemplating whether or not he could get away with burning it—this action being taken as a means of illustrating the rebellious nature he felt towards his whisker-marked parent figure. Esdese, much like the vermillion hot-head seated across from her, gave it a passing (if somewhat bored) glance.

"Sir, if I may? Why exactly did you hand us personnel profiles?" The iron golem that was Zuko couldn't help it. It seemed rather obvious why they had been supplied with information on specific enemies, but being the ever-precise iron-giant that he was his very nature dictated that his suspicions be confirmed. This character flaw was actually a rather humorous matter seeing as it applied to nearly every aspect of his life (the daily decision on what cereal to consume took nearly an hour and the opinions of several of his officers to complete)

Naruto's ever-benevolent grin remained in place, his head nodding toward his general of the north, acknowledging the question and appreciating the man for starting the conversation.

"Those, Zuko my boy, are the stars for our upcoming performance!"

Axel sighed internally. Leave it to Naruto to take something as grievous as war and make it out to be something akin to a play. Hell the last three wars Westalia had participated in the blonde treated like productions found on Modway in Crocus. He even went as far as to hand them scripts with stage directions and lines that had to be recited in the midst of battle. Axel shuddered as he remembered the time he refused to say Naruto's "stupid" lines…suffice to say the blonde decided that the red-heads character needed to be "hospitalized" and removed from the play…Axel woke up two months later.

"Four tabs?" Itachi, like his iron-giant of a compatriot, had a suspicion but wanted confirmation.

"One for each faction of course!" The Uchiha sweat dropped at the blonde's simple-minded response.

"Why four? Aren't there only three factions in the upcoming war?"

Naruto's smiling visage finally broke as a frown made its way onto his face, "No, including us there are indeed four factions."

Esdese, giving the closed folder in front of her another more appreciative glance, reestablished her presence (and her interest) in the discussion topic, "Alvarez, Ishgar, Westalia, and…?"

"Acnologia." Axel, who seemed to be the only one with enough common sense to actually read the fourth tab in the dossier, felt a maniacal grin spread across his face. Something that was mirrored by the Tigress of the West.

"Ara ara Naruto-kun, you know I prefer to learn about my enemies while I'm crushing them." The beautiful sadist waved her folder around in gesture, "things such as these take all the fun out of war."

Naruto's smile returned, however this time a teasing glint appeared in his eye. "Oh I remembered Esdese-chan, that's why I made your folder specifically for you. Why not check inside?"

Curious, Esdese opened her folder only for a light blush to dust her cheeks. A shimmering glance at her blonde superior amazed the other generals present as she burst across the table veritably glomping the Uzumaki.

"Arigato, onii-san!"

Naruto couldn't help but sweat drop at the rather out of character reaction of his tigress general. Of course he welcomed the affection displayed by one of the few people he considered a little sibling (the others being the other residents of the room…well not Yoruichi that'd be a bit weird). Returning the hug, the Uzumaki addressed the other occupants of the room, speaking over the shoulder of the bluenette.

"The rest of you have the main players of each faction and how you are to handle them."

Itachi, finding an anomaly, raised his concern, "Sir, there must be a mistake. One of these individuals is listed twice, once for Ishgar and once for... us?"

All who could view Naruto's face shivered at the vicious smirk that took up place upon it. "That's what _that_ is for." He said gesturing to the opposite side of the table.

The other six occupants of the room were astounded as a section of the floor opened up. From the depths of the abyss itself an obelisk rose, adding another dominating presence to the legendary chamber. Bathed in retreating shadows stood a stalwart object that exhilarated some of the room's denizens, and terrified others. Zaraki actually began to cackle.

There, in the chamber that housed the highest seat of power known throughout the land, was a sixth throne.

 **Meanwhile**

 **Alvarez Imperial Palace, Alakitasia**

 **0500 hours after the Caracol Event**

Brandish wasn't much one for emotional reactions. Hell if it weren't for Dimaria constant antagonism towards her the beautiful mage might very well have been mistaken for a living, extremely comely, corpse. Ajeel's constant challenges to mortal combat and the seemingly endless passes her late subordinate made towards her, something that was not missed in the slightest, had desensitized her rather quickly to emotional reactions.

Truth be told, she was never much of an open book. Her sense of emotional turmoil had been lost somewhere between being abandoned by her parents at an early age and nearly being caught and forced to toil away in some godforsaken tower off the coast of Ishgar.

So imagine the surprise trilling through August, King of Magic, as he gazed upon the visibly shaken form of said beauty as she recounted her experience upon Caracol. The slight shiver and light blush taking up residence upon his cute little "granddaughter's" face, while endearing and a welcome sight after having been absent for so long, inspired a slight unease within the stomach of one of the Alvarez' strongest. As Brandish continued her explanation, August felt his heart sink at the very real reality that was coming together before him.

It seems as though Westalia would also partake in the war.

Upon seeing the contemplative, and perhaps even gaunt, visage of one of the few individuals stronger than her, Brandish felt a tremor climb up her spine. To see one of the very strongest members of the Empire, a man strong enough to perhaps even rival Emperor Spriggan himself in terms of manipulation of magical properties (for no one could rival the Emperor's sheer power) actually display some trepidation at the mention of General Uzumaki.

It terrified her.

Brandish µ, Country Demolisher of the Alvarez Empire, felt so very small. The ornate meeting chamber of the Spriggan 12, a large room dominated by a lavish oak table and thirteen grand seats, was once an area in which she felt at home. It meant safety and power. Once upon a time Brandish had been certain that this grand, white and gold room contained the very epitome of magical strength throughout Earthland. Upon meeting Uzumaki Naruto, her perception of Alvarez', of the Spriggan 12's, of her own place in the hierarchical structure denoting the strongest powers in the world had been completely destroyed.

That man, that _beast_ , was a very real threat to the Spriggan 12 and to Alvarez as a whole. She had been able to gauge his power for but an instant…and it would haunt her nightmares for years to come. Power beyond her wildest imagination, magic that continued on ceaselessly, bloodlust hidden under a thick veneer of benevolence. If Westalia had others even half as strong as that devil Brandish was sure that by the end of the war there would be nothing left worth fighting for but piles of rubble that once might have been mountains.

A grizzled, yet warm and comforting hand being placed on her shoulder snapped Brandish out of her cerebral exile. The grandfatherly smile attached to the hand did little to assuage the beautiful Shield's fears, but the sentiment was welcome regardless.

"It seems you've been through a lot in the past day. Please heed my advice and go relax for a while; you deserve some down time." The warm tone of the wizened 'King of Magic' calmed Brandish's nerves, however what she knew was deliberately left out would not allow the terror she felt to completely leave.

'You are now one of a very few who have seen Uzumaki Naruto in person and lived.'

Giving her superior a shaky nod and half-hearted smile, Brandish returned to her quarters, (desperately) hoping for some solace there. The image of that handsome, clean-shaven face, bordered by long blonde hair would be the subject of her dreams. The three whisker marks would inspire fantasy. Those cold blue eyes, however, would haunt her nightmares.

August, watching one of his "grandchildren" leave his presence, felt a deep frown mar his grizzled features. The news was certainly not good. Should Westalia enter the fray…the world may very well end.

The emperor would have to be informed immediately. Perhaps he could pass that burden off onto Invel. The old man chuckled at the poor bastard (whoever he may be) that would have to inform his Majesty of the new development.

A royal guard interrupted August's musings, the man out of breath and excited. "Lord August! His Majesty has returned!"

…

…

…

'Fuck.'

 **Chapter End.**

 **So yeah that shit happened. Leave a review and tell me what you think…or don't. I like them reviews but I ain't gonna force ya to write them. Anyway, the reason this was delayed was a myriad of things. My OCD is a pain in the ass…seriously you ever have someone you really hate and they just randomly appear in your head. It's really friggin annoying and I'm trying to get that sorted out personally. School is going on as well. Good old UNC is trying to bury me under papers and tests, but I survived and was able to crap this sorry-ass chapter out. I also have two roommates who always want me to play league with them…so I do. Smite on Xbox 1 is also killing my time.**

 **Sigh**

 **I'm also really-fucking-lazy.**

 **Anyways, that's that I suppose.**

 **I'm thinking about pairings and…well…hehe, this might be a mistake, but I want to know what you guys think. Esdese already has a pairing. She's not gonna be with Naruto, but then again I don't think she would like my Naruto anyway. No her partner is a going to be one sorry sunnuvabitch by the time I'm done here. Hell, I might even have Esdese mind-rape the poor bastard…lol. I was a Tatsumi x Esdese shipper…I was actively rooting for her to win him over. Well, she kinda got him in the anime…sorta…yeah.**

 **I've talked your damn…eyes(?) off. SOOOOooooooooooo…**

 **Omake(!) Warning! Mature Content! Foreshadowing!**

 _Chains. Chains as far as the eye could see. The held him there, digging into his skin, forcing his arms, legs, torso, and neck into the soft mattress below him. He tried to summon his magic to no avail._

 _If only he could get a good roar off, perhaps he could melt these damned shackles!_

" _Hmhmhm," an angelic laugh filled the chamber. His senses went into overdrive, scouring the dark room for something, anything. A beautiful figure filled his vision. He felt cold under her intense gaze. Heat rushed to his cheeks as her naked form descended upon him. His naked length was engulfed._

" _You belong to me now. Never again will your eyes wander form me. From now on I am yours as you are mine." Lips claimed his own and he instantly knew that she was right. He would never escape. She would break him._

 _Natsu awoke with a start, drowning in sweat. A quick check of his surroundings revealed that he was in his house, Happy asleep in the hammock above him. Panting slightly he lowered himself back down into his own hammock, not taking his eyes off of the drooling Happy as the cat reference fish in his sleep. As long as Happy was there Natsu knew he was safe. Safe from…whatever the hell that woman was._

 _As he drifted off to sleep he remained unaware of the blue-eyes gazing adoringly—obsessively—at him through his window._

 **Yup, that's a pairing. I'm still curious about a Naruto one and other side-pairings. Itachi needs one so…that could be a sample. Regardless, thank you for reading and I hope you had fun!**


	5. Scorched Desert Campaign

**Sigh…I'm back…somewhat. Don't expect too much. You might be surprised at the end…maybe? Iunno. I'm tired, I wanna publish this damn thing goddamn it!**

 **So…without further ado: here's the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own no characters…none are ocs so none of them are mine.**

 **Scorched Desert Campaign**

"She still in there?" Axel was startled out of his inner revelry by the unexpected vocal intrusion of his fellow subordinate-general. The famous red-eyed glare of the Uchiha-Alberona made him falter in his response.

"Huh?" The slight twitch of annoyance present in the elegant eyebrow nearly sent the vermillion-haired man into inner panic. Nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of Itachi's ire. Quickly reassessing the situation and the question posed by his comrade, Axel was able to form a succinct response in a nonchalant tone. "Esdease? Yeah she's in there." A quick head gesture towards the door situated directly across the hallway from Axel's current position incited further irritation from the Uchiha.

"How long?" The edge present in Itachi's tone would have made lesser men squeal in terror, begging for their lives. Axel, having known his fellow commander for long enough, could withstand it marginally better, especially considering that he, himself, was not the focus of said ire.

"Ever since the meeting," the red-head rubbed his chin pensively, pondering what exactly it was that had the psychopath in such a good mood. "She had this creepy-ass grin on her face. Kinda, pervy-like ya know? Weird shit." Axel shrugged, chalking her behavior up as yet another quirk his colleagues seemed to retain.

Itachi visibly twitched, a tick-mark forming. "What could she possibly be doing in there?!"

Axel quirked an eyebrow, "It's pretty obvious man. You know how she gets whenever something invol—"

"—Ara ara, what exactly is all the ruckus about…right here…outside my room?"

Axel appeared as though he sucked on a particularly sour lemon, the unwelcome intrusion into the conversation being of a particularly horrifying nature. "Haha, Esdese! What a surprise running into you here!"

Said bluenette narrowed her eyes dangerously, evil intent lacing her vision. "Yes, what a surprise, running into a flamboyant chicken directly outside my room."

Axel sweat-dropped, his anxiety outweighing his indignation at the insult.

"Oh, look, you're here too, Pedophile." Esdese glared menacingly at Itachi, slyly antagonizing her most hated colleague. "To what do I owe this unwelcome visit?"

Itachi, unfazed by the rather hostile dig at his child-loving tendencies (not actual pedophilia, he's just a nice guy who helps orphans), gazed passively at the only female general. "Naruto-sama has sent me to retrieve you. After conferring with Ministers Hatake, Nara, and Momochi, the high-general has composed Westalia's approach to the coming war."

Esdese's angry expression disappeared in an instant, replacing itself with the cold, calculating façade; something that tended to haunt the nightmares of Westalia's defeated foes. "I'll head to the Thrones then." Without another word the bluenette briskly passed the two men, setting a swift and domineering pace as she left to receiver her marching orders. Unknown to the Tigress of the West, a stray piece of paper had fallen from her person, conveniently sliding onto the right shoe of one Axel Lea.

Picking it up, the red-head gave it a thorough study, pondering just what the hell it was he was holding…or for that matter what Esdese was doing with this particular object.

"Well?" Itachi's curious tone broke Axel form his musing. His questioning glance towards the dark-haired man was answered by a rather impatient gesture towards the subject of Axel's pondering.

Finding it more useful to let Itachi study the paper himself, Axel presented said object to the man. The look of realization that lit up the general's face, followed swiftly by a look of pity at the object, only further intrigued the red-head.

"A photo?" His question was answered by a slow shake of the head.

"One very poor bastard." Itachi stared pensively at the dark hall, the abyss into which Esdese had marched. "When all of this is over…I'm sure that Naruto-sama will present Esdese with exactly what she wants." His peace said, Itachi handed the photo back to Axel before he, like the bluenette before him, began his own journey into the dimly-lit hallway before them.

Eyes widening at the proclamation of his senior, Axel stared at the pink-haired dragonslayer smiling widely in the photo. The innocent smile, oh how it had truly damned him. ' _Natsu Dragneel…you poor bastard._ '

 **Line Break**

 **Alvarez Empire Imperial City, Vistarion**

 **Imperial Castle**

 **Meeting Chamber of the Spriggan Twelve**

Zeref Dragneel, Emperor of Alvarez, let out a tired groan as he massaged his temples, elbows resting upon the finely glossed wooden table. He'd had everything meticulously planned out, EVERY LITTLE THING! He'd waited for the opportune moment to strike—let Fairy Tail get strong, have them eliminate dark guilds, draw Acnologia and that damned reptile Igneel out of hiding, watch the dragons kill each other, wait a year to fuck with them, metaphorically spit in Makarov's old-ass face, then strike.

Simple no?

Everything was going exactly as planned. Fairy Tail would be beaten, Natsu would go mad with power, END would kill Acnologia, Zeref himself would get destroyed by his little brother, then said dragonslayer would claim his rightful place as Emperor of Alvarez, starting a harem and giving the Dark-mage tons of little nephews to spoil rotten in the ethereal ghost form he would most likely take…

Then along came Uzumaki-FUCKING-Naruto!

That blonde bastard had ruined _everything_! The kicker…all the Uzumaki had to do was show up, and the whole GODDAMN world went crazy! Three of his Shields refused to fight if that bastard was gonna be there (each of them had had some dealing with the blonde in the past), six of the others about went awol, gearing up to search and challenge the blonde—Zeref _really_ didn't want to have to go through the trouble of finding new members for his elite force. The only three that weren't panicking or frothing at the mouth for battle were August, Invel, and Neinhart (that latter of whom was currently unaware of the situation lest he join the battlemaniacs).

Between keeping his elites in line, reassessing his war stratagem, managing the unexpected decline in corn sales, and writing quite horrible love poems to send to Mavis, Zeref had formed a bit of a migraine.

"Ah, Lord Spriggan?" Zeref let out a sound more akin to a growl rather than a groan. It's imperative to understand that his patience had taken hits tantamount to several tactical nukes as of late.

As benevolently as possible, Zeref trained his gaze (read: glared) upon the owner of the voice that had sent a painful pulse through his head due to its unwelcome presence. Zeref politely addressed the strapping silver-haired lad in front of him, "Yes, Invel?"

Said strapping lad audibly gulped at the ire blatantly displayed in the eyes of his emperor. Best refrain from telling him the _really_ bad news. "Your Majesty, it would appear as though one of Westalia's sovereign is on the move."

Zeref's eyes widened considerably. It was very rare that one of Westalia's monsters strayed far enough away from the continent for one of the Alvarez spies to pick them up—for no one was stupid enough to volunteer as a spy in Westalia. Zeref's migraine lessened slightly. Perhaps this was a good thing. If one of the Warlords of Westalia was arrogant enough to challenge Alvarez by themselves, then he and his Spriggan Shields could surely defeat them, drastically reducing the threat of the Southern Continent.

"Do we know who it is?" This information was crucial. Certain members of the Warlords were more easily matched than others…that is to say, two were significantly stronger than their compatriots, and would ultimately cost him less Shield members.

Invel watched his emperor with a critical eye, gauging whether or not he should reveal the news that may very well get him killed. "Sources have identified the general as one Zuko Miaki."

Zeref almost grinned. What luck, the weakest among the four was making his move! Perhaps he'd only lose one of his Shields in the exchange—oh how he hoped it was that idiot Ajeel. Zeref really didn't like Ajeel.

"Excellent. When can we expect the Turtle of the North?"

Invel blinked.

"Sir?"

Zeref, agitated at the lack of proper response, took on a slightly aggravated tone as he elaborated, "When can we expect Zuko to make landfall here in Alvarez?"

The worry in Invel's eyes brought the migraine back.

"Invel?"

"…"

"Invel…tell me he's on his way here."

The silence was deafening, although all the Dark Mage could hear was the excruciating pounding that filled his cranium.

"He expected to land in Ishgar within the day, sir."

Zeref's countenance became eerily subdued before a façade of nonchalance took precedence upon his visage. The dark look in his certainly didn't bode well for anyone stupid enough to be in his presence should further bad news arrive.

"Your Majesty, I—"

"—Invel. The next words I hear better be good new, otherwise I cannot be held accountable for what happens to you."

Said Shield silently gulped, his usually serene expression marred by the ugly visage of fear. Good news? Well shit, here went nothing.

"Uh, corn sales have significantly rose…"

"…well, that's something I suppose." The danger in the room immediately dissipated, leaving behind a sense of slight ease.

Something that was immediately broken by the announcement of a random messenger who appeared out of breath. Invel immediately recognized the man as the individual who informed him of the _really_ bad news. Before he could do anything the stupid bastard blurted his declaration for all within the room to here (which was really just Invel and Zeref).

"Your Majesty, Lord Ajeel has engaged in battle with Axel of the Westalian Warlords!

Invel's face resembled that of a man who had just sucked on a particularly sour lemon.

 **Line Break**

Truth be told, Axel had just been minding his own business. There he was, sitting on the beach of Caracol Island, relaxing as he enjoyed the warm climate that had eluded him during his tenure in the freezing Westalian south. Having heard stories of a particularly delicious mango gelato served on the Caracol, Axel couldn't really help himself. He was a man ruled by the simple things in life. He like explosions, so he learned magic that would result in a lot of them. He liked to drink alcohol, so he made sure to learn requip magic in order to create a space designated specifically for said beverage. Whenever he got tired of the climate of one place, he'd burn it down and move to another place. The simple things really.

The fact that Naruto had ordered the red-head to take up station upon the island, well sure that was motivating, but damned if Axel would ever admit he did something because he was told to. Digressions aside, Axel did as he was ordered, taking up residence on the midpoint between the three great continents. Surely Alvarez wouldn't attack the island with the paltry naval fleet stationed nearby, not while he actively released as much power as he had been.

Imagine his surprise when he exploded.

 **Line Break**

"Really? That's it? Damn, what a pussy. If that's the best Westalia has this war may have gotten even easier." Ajeel Ramaal, "The Desert King" of Alvarez, was a boisterous man of average height and darker skin tone. His brown hair fanned out in nearly every direction save, perhaps, for down. His attire consisted of a thin cloth tied around his neck and around his torso, serving as the sole covering for his upper body. He wore large baggy shorts segmented into two portions, and upper and lower, to cover the lower half of his body. His 'loud appearance' was further emphasized by orange-sized spheres dangling from earrings and a bright bandanna decorated with an eye taking up space upon his forehead.

"Well, that's one down so whatever?" The arrogant man shrugged his shoulders, turning his back form the smoking cannon he had ordered to be fired at the 'supposedly' strong Westalian mage. "Hey boys, what say we head on down and _mingle_ with the locals?" The debauched grin upon the Desert Kings face elicited several excited cheers from his squad; their elated and perverted grins matched his own, however…

"Oi, if you're heading down to Caracol I'd recommend trying the mango gelato. 'Snot too bad." An unexpected voice as well as the looks of shock and horror upon the faces of his crewmembers forced Ajeel to swiftly turn around.

His eyes met an unwelcome site.

Standing there upon the bow of his ship, wearing nothing more than a pair of red and black swimming trunks, was the Vermillion Bird of the South, Axel Lea. Smirking at the looks of disbelief upon the faces of his adversaries, Axel really couldn't help himself.

"What, you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"

Growling at the sheer audacity of the red-head filth to set foot upon his ship, Ajeel commanded his most trusted elites, "Bakel, Kareem destroy this petulant heretic!"

Said men followed the orders of their lord, charging forward to engage the Westalian general. Kareem charged both his and Bakel's hands with explosive magic intending on ending the battle as quickly as possible.

Axel stood still as he watched the men charge him, gauging the strength of his opponents. When Bakel's punch hit and Kareem successfully hit Axel with a chop to the neck both men couldn't help but smirk, waiting for the inevitable "boom" followed by the raining chunks of one dead general.

Unfortunately, there was no boom. Axel stood there, a bulky fist in his face, an effeminate hand chopping at his neck, and a bored look on his face. While he usually relished the surprised looks upon his opponent's faces, really today the disbelief shared between the two minions just didn't do it for him. Perhaps the loss of his alcoholic mango gelato had pissed him off more than he had anticipated? Whatever the case, Axel decided to end these particular nuisances quickly.

"But-but how?! My magic?" Kareem's trembling voice grated on Axel's nerves.

"Yeah, explosion magic doesn't work on my pal." Kareem's vision was impeded as he felt an unbearable pressure take hold of his face. A panicked glance to his left saw his muscle-bound partner in a similar predicament. Both men's knees buckled as the pain became unbearable, a rictus of pain dominated their faces, an expression seen only by their dominator. A soft hum filled Kareem's ears as he began to white out as unbelievable agony filled his being. He couldn't scream, he couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. The only thing he could do was suffer.

"You know, I expected more."

Ajeel flinched at the loud explosion. The sight of his men's heads exploding didn't really bother him all too much. No, they weren't worth too much, but still good worshippers were hard to come by.

Ajeel's crew, however, didn't share the sentiments of their boss. One panicked and flung a rune sphere at the red-headed murderer. The dumb bastard's actions prompted his fellow shipmates to attack as well. Magical blasts rained down upon Axel, shrouding him beneath a miasma of smoke and magical runoff. The attacks continued for a whole minute before finally tapering out following a particularly powerful blast of wind-magic.

"Did…did we get him?" A heavy-set, dark skinned man panted out, a modicum of hope daring to stain his voice.

"I…I think so!" Another generic member of the Ajeel squad responded. The declaration was followed by shouts of elation and jeers at the fallen foe. Men high-fived and taunted Axel's surely dead form. Only one man remained staunch in his stature, passively gazing at smoldering deck where the Westalian general once stood. Ajeel glared at the spot before swiftly turning to address his cheering troops.

"Hit the deck you stupid bastards!"

A disk of orange super-heated air passed over the Desert Kings head, singeing the very tips of his ridiculous hair. The soldiers amongst Ajeel's crew did not fair nearly as well.

Ajeel's eyes widened at the sight before him. None of his men had been fast enough, the vermillion disk cut right through them, severing each and every one of them into two unequal halves. However, the truly horrifying part occurred only after the systematic mutilation of his crew: the body parts that had been sent flying skyward above the disk caught fire and turned to ash. The stray seagulls that had dared to fly above the ship (and subsequently the superheated disk) also vanished, reduced to nothing more than black snowflakes.

The Spriggan Shield was visibly shaken. What kind of monster could superheat air to such a degree?! What the fuck was he dealing with here?!

" **Chakram** ," Ajeel started, turning to face the unscathed, seemingly bored, Vermillion Bird of the South. Seeing the confusion evident on the face of his adversary, Axel decided to elaborate. "That's the name of that attack. Chakram."

The bored tone and lazy posture of the Westalian general stirred something within Ajeel. He felt his ire rise at the sheer _audacity_ of this heathenistic dog. How **DARE** he have the unmitigated gall to address someone of Ajeel's stature with such lackadaisical ease! He was Ajeel Ramaal, Desert King of Alvarez, God of the Sands! He would bury this pathetic Westalian ant beneath an ocean of sand!

"Tch, think you're hot shit don't ya? God damned Westalian heathen! Don't get cocky just because you burned a few maggots!" A crazy light had taken up residence within the eyes of the battle-mad mage. His tone and posture regaining the confidence he'd previously misplaced, "I'll show you! I'll show all of you Westalian bastards! Bow down and worship, for I am a GOD!"

The sand erupted out of nowhere as the sky was engulfed in a massive quagmire of ever-raging sand. The sheer magnitude of the sandstorm caused Axel to widen his eyes, a mistake on his part as immediately grains of sand invaded his sclera, aggravating the sensitive tissue. The general dropped to his knees clutching his eyes in irritation, something Ajeel took as submission.

"Now do you see, you pathetic dog? The power of Alvarez, the power of a God?!" A cruel smirk made its way onto his face, "Perhaps after I tire of you and that pathetic blonde worm you call a general, I'll convert your empress to my religion? Then, when she proclaims me as her god, I'll gut her in front of the world! Ahahahahahaha!"

The next four minutes Ajeel would relieve countless times up until the moment he died.

His sand disappeared, that was the first thing he noticed. Then, he started to sweat…only the sweat evaporated far too quickly for his liking. Then, he got a glimpse of movement from his supposedly defeated foe, the red-headed man rose to his feet, his eyes closed the entire time he rose to his feet. The next sight Ajeel saw would haunt him for years to come, green eyes blazing with power on a degree that far exceeded anything the Alvarez elite had ever dealt with before. Pure, unadulterated hatred glowed within those green globes, and for the first time in years, Ajeel felt his spine tingle—not in anticipation as was the norm for his battle hungry spirit—no what the Desert King felt was something he'd sworn never to feel again.

Terror.

Terror on a scale that he'd only ever experienced once before, when he'd been taken from his parents by the band of marauders. The terror of knowing that his ultimate fate was in the hands of a being infinitely stronger than him. Although there was a difference, Ajeel realized, between now and back in his youth. Back then, he'd vowed to become stronger, strong enough to kill the marauders and usurp control of his homeland from them. He was able to achieve such strength…but this _thing_ before him…

He'd never be able to match the monster that now stood twenty feet away. The only thing he could do, was attack.

" **Sands of Dea-** "

" **Blitz,** " Axel disappeared, the wave of sand Ajeel had sent forth had also gone missing. The dark-skinned man's eyes widened considerably as he suddenly felt an impact upon his cheek. He'd expected a fist, what he got was the slightly charred woodgrain of the ship deck. How, how had he ended up in such a position? Supine and flexed at such an irregular angle? Why had his legs failed him?

Oh, that's why.

Half of his body wasn't there, starting from the left leg traveling up to his stomach area. The entire left half of his lower body was gone, burnt away by insufferable heat. His groin, his stomach, his leg, they were all gone…and the shock had yet to allow the pain set.

"I hope you weren't the best Alvarez has to offer," Ajeel's eyes flicked to his aggressor, his dominator, his nightmare. Axel stood there, ten feet behind the fallen from of the Alvarez soldier, a straight path of charred wood connecting his current and previous positions. "If vermin like you can become Spriggan Shields…hell this is gonna be a massacre."

Axel lit a cigarette as he merrily strolled below deck. Reaching the bridge, he set coordinates for Vistarion before activating the autopilot.

Whistling a jaunty tune, the red-head casually strolled to the side of the airship before stepping off into free fall, returning to his former post on the beach. If he were lucky, the mango gelato stand might have survived the sandstorm attack.

Meanwhile, Ajeel stared up at the sky, thrashing about as his body finally registered the immense pain.

 **LineBreak**

 **Meanwhile**

 **Destroyed Sabertooth Guildhall**

Sting lay on the ground, completely defeated by the armor juggernaut that had randomly attacked them. His guild had been spared, but the defeat had been total. Nobody had been spared from the utter domination of the iron golem bearing the Westalian emblem.

" **This is only to be expected. You are 100 years too early to take on the might of Westalia. Despite your weakness you fought admirably, rest assured when the time comes you and your country shall be spared. Naruto-sama and her majesty are benevolent sovereigns.** " His peace said, Zaku trudged out of the wrecked guildhall, slowly passing his officers as they shouted orders to the Westalian soldiers occupying the city.

Zuko took the words spoken by his general to heart. ' _Zuko, the only way to protect Fiore, is to dominate and occupy it. I want full Westalian control of Fiore by the end of the month.'_ Spurred on by his loyalty to his leader and eager to reach his next stop, the iron-clad man trudged forward toward his next stop: Mermaid Heel.

Cresting a mountain, the goliath removed his helmet, gazing through shaggy locks out to the distance. Giving a small smile, Simon couldn't help himself, "I'm coming, imouto."

 **Chapter End**

 **The ending was rushed as shit…I'M SO SORRY! Seriously, that ending felt shit out…but I got tired of several reviews wanting to find out who Zuko was wondering if he was an OC or not…obviously he's not. Yup, we found out a bit more this chapter I guess. I don't really consider Ajeel too terribly strong in terms of Spriggan Twelve. I'm sorry that was the first fight scene and I wanted to showcase the strength of the sovereigns. Truth be told, Ajeel heavily underestimated Axel…and was surprised by his power. Axel's magic is op I know, but there are counters and stuff, Ajeel just wasn't the one to fight him equally…like I said I feel he's a lower level member of the 12.**

 **The fight could have been cool but I haven't updated in a while and…**

 **Sigh**

 **No excuses it'll get better I promise! The rest of the Twelve are much more of a match for the sovereigns…except Esdese…she's kind of in a league of her own (still under Naruto however). Speaking of the blonde general…yeah he's in the background right now…he's the title character however I feel more inclined to expound upon these other characters right now. Axel is one of my favorites so far…but he probably won't be much in the next chapter. That's gonna focus on Zaku…err…Simon and probably Itachi. Anyway, it's been fun writing Zeref somewhat comically…he's got a lot on his plate.**

 **At this point I'm rambling so, please feel free to rate and review! Thanks for reading!**


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